Class ___^^^/^ 

Book 

Copyright N°__ 

COBfRIGHT DEPOSH! 



HOUSE PLANTS 



THE GARDEN LIBRARY 



Roses and How to Grow Them 

By MaisiY Experts 

Ferns and How to Grow Them 

By G. A. WooLSON 

Lawns and How to Make Them 

By Leonard Barron 

Daffodils-Narcissus and How to Grow Them 

By A. M. KiRBY 

Water-Lilies and How to Grow Them 

By H. S. CoNARD and Henri Hus 

The Flower Garden 

By Ida D. Bennett 

The Vegetable Garden 

By Ida D. Bennett 

The Orchard and Fruit Garden 

By E. P. Powell 

House Plants and How to Grow Them 

By Parker T. Barnes 



BEAUTIFYING THE WINDOW 



By growing plants in the border outside the window, a great deal may 
be done to complete the idea of the window garden effect of the potted 
plants indoors 



House Plants 

AND HOW TO GROW THEM 



PARKER Tf BARNES 



ILLUSTRATED 



NEW YORK 
Doubleday, Page & Company 
1909 



ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION 
:NT0 foreign languages, including the SCANDINAVIAN 



COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 
PUBLISHED, JUNE, Igcg ^ 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Tv/o Cooi?.5 Recpived 

JUN 22 

Copyngnt £;ntry 
^A5S X/'t, No. 

Cory ~<, 



/'7 Copyng 



PREFACE 



There have been books on window gar- 
dens and house plants before this, and they 
have told, at length, of every kind of plant 
that under some condition or other has eked 
out a struggling existence in our dwellings. 
The purpose of the present volume is to 
discuss fully those plants which are sure to 
succeed. If a selection is made from the 
various kinds enumerated in the following 
pages, failure is next to impossible; it can 
only be brought about by carelessness and 
inattention to the first principles of cul- 
tivation. 

Somewhat minute directions have been 
given for the preparation of soil, for seed 
sowing and for other operations in connection 
with each plant, and particularly as regards 
temperature. It should be understood that in 
every case these indicate the best conditions, 
not the imperative conditions; for success 
can often be achieved with wide divergence 
from the ideal. Still, the nearer one can 



vi 



HOUSE PLANTS 



attain to the proper conditions, the better and 
surer the results. 

Although every cultural statement made 
is based on my own practical experience as 
a grower, yet the experiences of successful 
amateurs (as told in several numbers of the 
Garden Magazine) have been draw^n upon 
in order to give encouragement to beginners. 
Particularly must I acknowledge having 
made extracts in Chapter I. from the writ- 
ings of Mrs. M. K. Farrand, who created 
the piazza conservatory, and whose calendar 
of operations forms Chapter XVII., the 
cellar door conservatory was originally 
described by Mrs. Edith L. Fullerton; the 
gas stove heating arrangement was invented 
by Mrs. E. A. Eames, and Mr. Leonard Bar- 
ron's ideas are embodied in Chapter VI. 
The home propagating box and the home 
fumigator described are original with Mr. 
L. J. Doogue. I also wish to thank Mr. J. 
D. Eisele, Mr. Peter Duff, and Mr. A. J. 
Manda for suggestions and assistance. 
New York, 1909 P. T. B. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. How Other People Have Succeeded . 3 
n. Making the Soil Foundation . . 18 
in. Potting and Repotting . . -27 
IV. Raising Plants from Seeds . . -35 
V. Propagation by Cuttings, etc. . . 57 
VI. In Sickness and in Health . . 69 
VII. Bulbs from Thanksgiving to Easter . 83 
VIII. The Winter Window Garden . . 94 
IX. Flowering Plants for House Conditions 115 
X. Roses, Carnations and Chrysanthe- 
mums 134 

XI. Cactuses and Other Succulents . .147 
XII. Nine Iron-clad Palms . . -173 
Xlli. Foliage Plants other than Palms . 185 
XIV. Reliable Ferns for the Dwelling Rooms 1 99 
XV. Window Gardening Tools and Acces- 
sories 208 

XVI. Ether Forcing without a Greenhouse 217 

XVII. A Window Gardener's Calendar . 225 



vii 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Beautifying the Window 


Frontispiece 




FACING PAGE 


Heating a Window Garden . . 


.16 


An Unheated Window Garden 


17 


Repotting . 


32 


Sowing Seed and Transplanting . 


33 


How to Sow Seeds .... 


50 


The Best of the Primroses . 


51 


Home Propagation .... 


62 


Propagating Geraniums and Dracena . 


' . 63 


When a Rubber Plant Is too Tall 


66 


" Topping " with a Pot 


67 


Making New Begonias from a Leaf 


. 78 


The Effect of Dry Air . . . 


79 


How to Pot Bulbs .... 


82 


Forcing Bulbs in the House 


. 83 


The Indian Azalea .... 


94 


Fohage Plants for Christmas Decoration 


95 


The Hortensia ..... 


112 


Martha Washington Geraniums . 


• 113 


The Best Flowering Begonia 


128 


Cobea Vine in a Window 


129 


Some Good Cactuses .... 


. 150 


The Showiest House Cactus 


. 151 


A Night Blooming Cereus . 


160 



ix 



X ILLUSTRATIONS 






FACING PAGE 


Easily Grown Succulents and Cactuses 


. i6i 


Two Feathery-leaved Palms 


176 


The Sturdiest of House Palms 


. 177 


The Commonest of House Palms 


210 


The Fiddle-leaved Rubber Plant . 


211 


Forcing with Ether .... 


222 


A Collection of House Plants 


223 



HOUSE PLANTS 



HOUSE PLANTS 



CHAPTER I 
How Other People Have Succeeded 

A plain statement of facts — Practical ideas in window 
gardens — Glass houses for forcing in winter — Heat- 
ing problems solved. 

A GROUP of healthy looking, vigorous- 
growing house plants always fills me with 
delight for it must be confessed at the out- 
set that the thoroughly successful cultiva- 
tion of a large number of plants in a window 
garden or in any part of a dwelling house 
is no mean achievement. The conditions 
with which living plants have to contend 
when brought into our ordinary living rooms 
are trying indeed. The fluctuations of tem- 
perature are usually not only great, but 
also sudden; light is neither uniform nor 
abundant; and the atmosphere is generally 
excessively dry. This last condition is par- 
ticularly true in the winter time, when 
3 



4 



HOUSE PLANTS 



our rooms are heated by artificial means 
and every degree of heat that is thus supplied 
for our individual comfort is taxing the 
energy of the plant in causing transpiration 
of water at a time when, normally, plant 
growth is at its minimum activity. 

The cultivation of plants in the house, 
then, is very largely an individual problem 
of overcoming a set of opposing conditions 
which will never be the same for two indivi- 
duals nor for the same individual in two 
different places. What we have to strive 
for is to maintain a fairly comfortable, 
average condition, and it is really surprising, 
when all things are taken into consideration, 
what eminently satisfactory results can be 
achieved. I have seen window gardens that 
from one year's end to another are perfect 
blazes of colour; in others, again, plants 
grown for their foliage effect alone have 
flourished amazingly. Yet similar plants 
in the homes of other people dwindled and 
finally died. 

The ideal situation for a window garden 
is on the south side of the house, the window 
itself slightly projecting from the building 
line, so as to secure abundance of light, 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED 5 



for the sunshine is the Hfe. In addition, just 
because the winter and spring sun may 
sometimes be too energetic for plants at 
rest, there should be some arrangement of 
adjustable shades to screen the excessive 
light which might be injurious to some 
of the younger growths in the early days of 
spring. Plants that have been kept in 
dark corners of dwelling rooms — such as 
palms or ferns — when brought into the 
window garden to resuscitate, will be thank- 
ful for such careful protection while the 
sun is at its hottest. Many ingenious de- 
vices have been thought out by amateur 
gardeners to meet the requirements and to 
provide the necessary best available con- 
ditions for their pets, and surely if one is 
about to indulge in window gardening 
on anything like an extensive scale, it is 
the part of wisdom to make a good begin- 
ning by giving them the best chance possible 
for a comfortable life. 

It is often not at all difficult to build a 
small extension outside a window for the 
accommodation of house plants, and a 
little addition like this, on a slightly more 
pretentious scale, very easily approaches the 



6 



HOUSE PLANTS 



dignity of a small greenhouse; and in a 
great many respects will serve the same 
purpose, as for raising seeds of plants to be 
put out in the garden later, whether these 
be flowering plants or vegetables. 

A PIAZZA CONSERVATORY 

I know of one instance where a ten-foot- 
square corner of a piazza was brought into 
service by enclosing it with glass so that 
it might have been surely called a piazza 
conservatory. Its owner preferred to refer 
to it merely as a "glass house" on account 
of its small dimensions, but I venture to 
say that this small place gave more pleasure, 
and perhaps more flowers, to its owner 
than some other real greenhouses on a much 
more elaborate scale. Besides the flowers, 
the glass house is big enough to hold com- 
fortably a wicker armchair and a teastand. 
The house is built on one corner of the 
porch, and gets the early morning sun 
from the east, and the south and west sun 
later in the day. 

The first year a small coal stove was 
installed in one corner, and the temperature 
varied from tropical to arctic in a startling 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED 7 



manner; but in spite of being baked one 
hour and chilled the next, the plants managed 
to survive. The coal stove was succeeded 
by a smokeless oil heater, which has proved, 
except in windy and very cold weather, a 
most satisfactory arrangement. The heating 
question was finally settled for good by 
running a pipe from the furnace underneath 
the drawing room out into the glass house. 

The glass house was first furnished with 
some stocks and cannas taken from the 
garden, and some ferns and green-leaved 
plants. Just a few days before Christmas 
the first box of paper-white narcissus is in 
full bloom, and since then the house is 
not without a flower. Freesias, Chinese 
sacred lilies, and more paper-white narcissi 
follow in January, and about the middle 
of the month the azaleas commence and 
keep bravely on until the last of March. 
Before the flowers of the last box of narcissus 
wither, the early Yellow Prince tulip starts 
in, about the 15th of February, lasting till 
near the end of March. 

One hundred and fifty Gladiolus Colvillei, 
planted early in January, gave dozens of 
white and pink flowers in the third week 



8 



HOUSE PLANTS 



of May. Wistarias in large pots, and hya- 
cinths came next, while more tulips (variety 
Murillo) and a huge plant of double flowering 
cherry {Prunus Pseudo-Cerasus, var. hor- 
tensis flore-pleno, known in the trade as 
P. Sieboldii, var. rubra plena) made March 
gay with pink tints. The calla lilies flower 
until May. 

In such a place as this seeds of the green- 
house type of plant, such as primrose, 
cineraria, and calceolaria, may be started 
in the usual way, in flats with window glass 
over the boxes to prevent too rapid evapor- 
ation of the moisture, but care must be taken 
to secure the right soil. Finely sifted woods 
earth, mixed with one-third sandy loam, has 
proved a reliable combination in the hands 
of the lady who presides over the house, in 
which to germinate the seeds of these plants. 
Drainage is provided by a layer of sharp 
sand and bits of broken crockery and char- 
coal in the bottom of the box. 

When the seedlings have developed three 
or four leaves, they are transplanted to one 
and one-half inch pots, using about the 
same soil and drainage as in the flats, adding 
a small quantity of well-rotted cow manure. 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED 9 



The pots are now plunged to the rims in 
sand to keep the soil moist. 

As it may be of practical value to others 
I give, in Chapter XVII. , the "calendar of 
operations" for this piazza house. It's 
valuable because it is real experience, not 
a table of guesses. 

BUILDING ROUND A CELLAR DOOR 

Another triumphant solution of a some- 
what similar problem of making a plant- 
house attachment to the dwelling resulted 
in utilizing the heat from the furnace and 
making a removable house around the 
cellar door. The story is best told by the 
one who did it all: 

"The south door opens upon a small 
porch, with the outside cellar door under 
part of its roof. One French window also 
opens upon it. The floor of this porch was 
directly on the ground, and, as the boards 
had rotted away, we removed them, sub- 
stituting a floor of cement. 

"The cellar is low, and a modern fur- 
nace heated it beyond the point of wisdom. 
We sought an outlet for the heat and imme- 
diately the conservatory shaped itself. By 



10 



HOUSE PLANTS 



enclosing the small porch in glass and 
removing the outside cellar doors, the heat 
from the cellar would be released and 
the conservatory warmed. By leaving the 
hall door open and removing the French 
windows from the living room, we gained 
more heat and better ventilation. 

'^Our desire was to have as much glass 
and as little wood as was possible for strength 
and durability. We also desired the glass 
panes to butt and not be puttied. It was 
necessary to have a door in front of the 
cellar door for the removal of coal ashes, 
and transoms for ventilation. With this 
general plan the work was begun. A heavy 
timber was run along the floor and bolted 
at the corners (the conservatory must dis- 
appear in summer time). A corresponding 
timber ran along the edge of the porch 
ceiling. Uprights were then placed at cer- 
tain intervals, and these were grooved to 
admit of the glass sliding down them. 
Photographic plates, ii x 14, freed from 
the gelatine, made the glass panes for our 
conservatory. 

"Curtains of unbleached muslin were 
arranged for; the rollers, four and five 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED II 



feet long respectively, were of tin. These 
were set at the bottom, along the beam, 
and the curtains drawn up by means of a 
sash cord and pulleys. 

"Two trays about table height were 
constructed. They were four inches deep, 
to admit of sand in them in which to sink 
the pots. A shelf was made about two inches 
from the floor on these tray tables, and formed 
an admirable place for seed boxes and for 
starting bulbs. 

"The curtains proving insuflBcient protec- 
tion from the sun, we coated the outside 
of the structure with a lime wash to keep 
off the direct rays. As for the heating, 
there was ample, and our cellar was kept 
in the finest condition. When the ther- 
mometer registered 4 below zero out of 
doors, the glass or garden room registered 
56 degrees. 

"The cost of this structure was: 



Labour j^Si.oo 

Lumber 16.42 

Corner iron work . . i.oo 

Hardware . 4.00 

Door 3.50 

Sash cord .35 

Total ^^56.27 



12 



HOUSE PLANTS 



" The labour included cutting the glass and 
placing it in the frames where it was needed/' 

THE HEATING PROBLEM 

Perhaps, after all, the greatest stumbling- 
block in window gardening lies in the matter 
of heating. Very naturally one wants to 
have, as the fruits of this hobby, plants in 
flower during the winter season. The most 
ingenious method I ever heard of was the 
construction of a miniature gas furnace 
in the cellar to heat a portable window 
extension box, and it was by no means 
expensive. The scheme was evolved out 
of the desire to force bulbs; it came as an 
inspiration one October day when overhaul- 
ing the storm windows preparatory for 
winter. Two tall, narrow ones which had 
been made useless by remodeling the sitting- 
room suggested the thought that here was 
a start toward the little conservatory. They 
were of exactly the same height as the storm 
sash of the south dining-room window. 
Here, then, were three sides of a window 
greenhouse; moreover, they exactly fitted 
each other and the window. 

By means of four long screws on a side, 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED I3 

the two narrow sashes were fastened to the 
window frame at the exact places where 
the vertical edges of the regular storm sash 
belonged — only they were at right angles 
to the wall of the house, projecting into 
space. The regular storm sash was now 
screwed to the outer edges of the two sashes 
already in place, forming a generous space, 
ideally lighted, requiring only a top and 
bottom to make a splendid window- 
conservatory. 

Half-inch boards nailed across formed 
the bottom and two oak brackets supported 
the whole. Two tapering boards were fitted 
to the top making a roof with a pitch and 
overhanging eaves sufficient to shed any 
kind of weather. Old rubber floor matting 
tacked over all made the top and bottom 
waterproof. A tight joint with the house 
was made by continuing the rubber back 
and up under the bottom of the first 
clapboard. 

Three six-inch shelves were placed across 
both side sashes by means of five-inch 
brackets. When still more room was neces- 
sary, additional six-inch shelves were laid 
across the front with their ends resting on 



14 



HOUSE PLANTS 



the first set. This provided three com- 
plete tiers of shelves running around the 
three sides of the conservatory. Without 
crowding, about seventy-five pots and pans 
of various sizes can be accommodated here. 
As zero weather approached, the warmth 
from the dining room proved inadequate 
and other means of maintaining the requisite 
temperature to keep the plants growing were 
found to be necessary, so a miniature furnace 
was installed. 

A three-eighth-inch pipe was run from the 
natural gas main in the cellar through the 
cellar window and up through the bottom of 
the conservatory, ending in an ordinary gas 
burner. This gave plenty of heat but the 
fumes from the gas proved objectionable and 
the arrangement was abandoned for the fol- 
lowing which works admirably. 

For $2.25 a tiny gas stove was purchased. 
This was placed on the cellar floor directly 
below the cellar window under the conser- 
vatory. A short smoke-pipe was connected 
to the nearest chimney opening in order 
to dispose of the fumes. A tinsmith made 
a galvanized iron hood which fitted down 
over and completely enclosed the stove; it 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED I5 

had a number of one-inch holes along its 
bottom edges for circulation, and a sliding 
door for access to the stove. Its top was 
drawn up to form a collar about eight inches 
in diameter. From this collar an eight- 
inch flue ran up and out through the cellar 
window (from which a pane had been 
removed), and ended at a five by seven inch 
register set into the floor of the "con- 
servatory." The flue was enclosed in a 
wooden box or outer flue for insulation 
throughout its entire length outdoors. 

This formed virtually a miniature hot- 
air furnace. The tiniest flame warmed the 
stove, which in turn warmed the air enclosed 
in the galvanized hood. This warm air 
flovv-ed up the pipe through the register arid 
gave the plants just what they needed — 
pure, moist, warm air. 

HEATING FROM THE LIVING ROOM 

But it may not be possible always to instal 
a carefully designed heating plant, and many 
are the cases where satisfactory window 
gardens are maintained by the heat from 
the adjoining room alone — no extra appara- 
tus — but of course no real forcing is done 



i6 



HOUSE PLANTS 



here. In one such simple garden, situated 
on the south side of the house, it is found 
by experience that the best results could 
be obtained by watering the plants fre- 
quently and keeping the adjoining library 
at an even temperature of 70 degrees. 

About the ist of October every year 
the window garden is filled with chrysan- 
themums, of which it holds about four dozen. 
These flowers last till the end of November, 
when they are replaced by the real winter 
flow^ers, first among which are the gera- 
niums, which are hardy and do not require 
much care and will remain in flower through- 
out the winter. Heliotropes also do very well. 
Candytuft in boxes does much better than if 
placed singly in pots, and makes a better 
showing. Nasturtiums with plenty of room 
and strings to climb on will remain in flower 
all winter. Mignonette and begonias can also 
be grown to advantage, and do not require 
much care. In fact, any flower of a hardy 
nature will flourish in one of these gardens. 

CONTROL OF TEMPERATURE 

Never let the cold, frosty air strike your 
plants, for it will kill them; nor let the 



HOW OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCEEDED 17 

temperature of the room vary between too 
wide limits (20 degrees would be safe, but 
extreme during the day ; the night tem- 
perature can be as much as lo degrees 
below the day minimum). If at one time 
the plants are overheated, and the next 
moment chilled, their growth is stunted 
and their bloom killed. 



CHAPTER II 



Making the Soil Foundation 

The ideal and practical substitutes — Loam and when 
to get It — The compost heap — Spring vs. fall 
making- — Manures of various kinds — Leafmould 
—[Peat — Muck. 

Good soil is an absolute necessity to 
success with plants and there is only one 
way to get it — by mixing. A workable 
soil may be made from loam, sand, and 
manure, but it will be much better if it has 
an addition of leafmould, peat, or well- 
weathered muck. 

When it is impracticable to make a com- 
post heap, any good garden loam may be 
used and it is not absolutely necessary to 
prepare it any length of time beforehand. 

PASTURE LOAM FOR COMPOST 

The best loam to use in a potting soil is 
well decayed sod taken from a pasture. The 
best time to secure it is in the fall after the 
grass has been killed by hard frosts; it can, 
i8 



MAKING THE SOIL FOUNDATION I9 

however, be secured in the spring before 
the grass starts to grow. Cut the sod three 
or four inches deep and place it in a pile, the 
grass side down. For convenience make the 
pile about four feet wide and high, and as long 
as necessary, and have the top hollowed 
out a little so that it will catch the rains 
and so keep the pile moist. Many people 
when making up the sod pile compost 
manure with it. If you prefer to do it this 
way add one part fresh cow manure to 
each three parts of sod, if done in the fall. 

ADDING MANURE 

When the compost is made in the spring 
the manure must be well-rotted, and horse 
manure is preferable to cow manure. 

The compost pile must be thoroughly 
mixed two or three times by chopping it 
down with a spade and throwing it up into 
a new pile. 

A spring-made compost heap will be 
ready to use in the fall, but the soil is apt 
to be rather coarse. The fall-made com- 
post is sure to give much better satisfaction. 

In my practice I have always found well- 
decayed horse manure better than cow 



20 



HOUSE PLANTS 



manure; the latter can be used, however, 
but it tends to make the soil cold and clammy. 
Well-decayed horse manure may usually 
be purchased in the suburbs and smaller 
towns from the livery or other stables. 
If you cannot purchase rotted horse manure 
and you have a convenient place in any 
out-of-the-way corner in the backyard where 
fresh droppings can be stored, well and good. 
They will require several months to rot prop- 
erly. Protect it from the rain and turn 
it over frequently to prevent burning. If 
the manure gets too dry sprinkle it v/ith 
water when turning. 

Sheep, hen, pigeon, and other manures 
may be used in mixing potting soils, but 
very sparingly, for they are so strong that 
if a large amount is used the roots of the 
plants will be burned. 

LEAFMOULD, PEAT, AND MUCK 

Added to the potting soil, either leafmould, 
peat or muck makes it much more friable, 
increases its water-holding capacity, eases the 
circulation of the air through it, and induces 
a better growth of roots. In no case is 
there actual fertilizing value. In raising 



MAKING THE SOIL FOUNDATION 



21 



from seed such plants as cyclamens, ciner- 
arias, Chinese primroses and begonias, 
leafmould is a necessity. Where manure 
is not obtainable one of these three forms 
of vegetable mould must be used to supply 
the necessary humus; the plant food can 
then be added in the form of a complete 
fertilizer which may be bought from any 
seedsman. 

Peat is very scarce in this country, and 
so is quite expensive; but it can be bought 
from nearly all the dealers in seeds or bulbs. 

Leafmould and muck are much easier to 
obtain, and usually cost nothing outside of 
the labour necessary to collect them. When 
the foliage is falling, late in September or 
in October, is the best time to lay in a stock 
of next year's leafmould. 

If there is no hardwood timber land 
nearby, where you can get clean leaves, 
then rake up the leaves which have fallen 
in the street. Maple leaves are best, but 
those of the elm and oak Vv^ill do. Some- 
times an arrangement can be made with 
the city em.ployees to dump in the back 
yard all the leaves they gather in cleaning 
the streets. In this v/ay, and at no cost, 



22 



HOUSE PLANTS 



an abundant supply of leafmould can be 
had in suburban districts. 

HANDLING LEAVES 

In the winter the leaves may be used 
for banking coldframes and pits, to keep 
out the frost, or for mulching the bulb beds. 
In the spring, when the pits are empty, 
throw all the leaves into a pit, wet them 
thoroughly, and allow them to rot. By 
fall they are in good condition to use. If 
this way of rotting them is followed, you 
will probably need to wet them several 
times during the summer. Another good 
way to handle the leaves is to dig as large 
a hole in the ground as you can fill with 
leaves. Pack in the leaves as tightly as 
possible, wetting them as they are being 
thrown in. A good time to do this is on a 
rainy day, for then it saves the necessity 
of handling water. If you have a hose 
you can do the work at any time. 

If neither of these ways can be followed, 
the leaves may be put in a heap on the ground, 
thoroughly moistened, and tramped down. 
When treated thus, it will be necessary to 
water them oftener, because the pile presents 



MAKING THE SOIL FOUNDATION 



23 



more surface from which the moisture 
can evaporate. Turn the heap of leaves 
occasionally, and in two years the leaf- 
mould will be in usable condition. 

Never bury leaves in your garden where 
you intend to grow plants next year. The 
heat caused by the fermentation will injure 
the roots of the grov/ing plants. 

VALUE OF MUCK 

Muck from either a fresh water or salt 
water marsh is equally good as leafmould, 
but it must be dug at least one winter before 
using. After digging, place it on the upland, 
away from the tides and floods, in triangular- 
shaped piles about three feet wide, three feet 
high, and as long as necessary. By putting 
it in such small piles the frost and air have 
a much better chance to work through it than 
if it is in larger piles. Under ordinary cir- 
cumstances, exposure to the weather for one 
winter will sweeten it. But if not, add a little 
lime; this will quickly neutralize any acidity. 

DRAINAGE 

One of the most important things to pro- 
vide for in a soil is drainage. This is best 



24 



HOUSE PLANTS 



secured by adding sand. Use a clean, sharp 
sand such as a mason would use for making 
mortar. If you cannot secure this from 
a nearby sand bank, you can buy bird 
sand, if only small quantities are needed, 
from the grocer. It comes put up in small 
packages. If sand from the seashore is 
used, get it from the shore side of the sand 
hills, and wash it thoroughly before using 
in order to remove any salt. Although 
I have never done it myself, I have seen 
coal ashes successfully used as a substi- 
tute for sand. They were, of course, 
screened to remove the coarse matter. On 
heavy soils coal ashes sometimes are a posi- 
tive detriment, however, by making the 
clay into a sort of cement. Where better 
drainage is wanted than can be given 
by simply adding sand, add charcoal. If 
the plants are to stay for a year or so in single 
pots without repotting (as is the case with 
palms), the charcoal is a distinct advan- 
tage, not only because of the better drain- 
age it affords, but also because it prevents 
the soil from souring. Charcoal is cheap, 
and a little of it goes a long v/ay. 

It is very important to have on hand 



MAKING THE SOIL FOUNDATION 25 



at all times the ingredients necessary to 
make up a good potting soil, so in an out- 
building away from the weather, or in the 
cellar, have bins in which a six months' 
(if not a year's) supply, of the articles just 
mentioned may be stored. You will find 
this a very decided advantage, especially 
in the winter when the ground is frozen. 
Even the manure may be stored in the cellar, 
if it is well decayed, without the least incon- 
venience. 

No hard and fast rule can be laid down 
for the amounts of the different ingredients 
of a potting soil. They will vary with 
the character of the soil in your locality. 
I have found that a soil composed of equal 
parts of rotted sod, manure, leafmould, 
and sand Vv^ll give excellent results with 
plants ordinarily grown in the house. If 
the rotted sod has been composted then it 
will be necessary to add only sand and 
leafmould. 

Mix the soil thoroughly before planting. 
The best way to do this is to get the com- 
ponent parts together in layers, and then 
throwing the mass over to making a new 
pile. Always shovel from the bottom of 



26 



HOUSE PLANTS 



the pile, and always throw the added mat- 
ter on the apex of the new pile so that the 
soil can roll down the sides. If this is 
done, and the pile turned three or four 
times, the soil will be thoroughly mixed. 

Before mixing the soil determine whether 
it is sufficiently moist. This may be told 
by taking a handful of the soil and pressing 
it firmly in the hand. If water can be 
squeezed out the soil is too damp, and 
ought not to be worked over until enough 
dry soil has been added to take up the sur- 
plus moisture. 

If, after having been pressed in the hand, 
the soil remains together, but will break 
upon being lightly touched, it contains 
the proper amount of m.oisture. If it v/ill 
not rem.ain in a lump but breaks up im.me- 
diately the pressure is released, it needs 
more water. Add it by means of a water- 
ing pot; the amount necessary can be judged 
better from experience than by any rules 
which may be laid down. 



CHAPTER in 



Potting and Repotting 

When to repot — Why plants die — Feeding vs. 
shifting — Winter disturbance — "Knocking out" — 
Seedlings — Cuttings — The potting bench — Crocking 
and drainage — Danger of large pots. 

The best time of the year to repot house 
plants is in the spring (April or May), or 
when new growths start. Only in very 
exceptional cases do house plants need 
repotting during the winter; this is particu- 
larly true of palms, ferns, rubber plants, etc. 
These plants are then resting or are making 
very little growth, and meddling is positively 
dangerous to their lives. The average 
amateur gardener does not realize this, and, 
although the plant is in a good, healthy 
condition, he becomes very much worried 
because it is not making new growth. Then 
he will repot the plant, putting it in a larger 
pot, and nine times out of ten the plant 
becomes sickly and often dies in a few 
weeks because of the shock received and the 



27 



28 



HOUSE PLANTS 



inability to make a new root system rapidly, 
and so take hold of the new soil. 

FEEDING vs. REPOTTING 

Soft-wooded plants, like geraniums and 
coleus, I would much rather feed with liquid 
fertilizer than repot during the winter; 
although, if the plants are growing, they 
may be shifted to slightly larger pots without 
injury. Should you desire to repot the 
plants, do so before the roots circling about 
the inside of the pot become woody; after 
they have matted but while still white and 
succulent. 

HOW TO "knock out" 

To remove the plant from its pot, take the 
pot in the right hand and place the stem of the 
plant between the index and middle fingers 
of the left hand; then invert it and strike the 
edge of the pot sharply against the edge of 
the bench. The ball of earth and roots will 
slide out easily, unless the earth is dry; in 
that case, before attempting to remove the 
plant, immerse it in water until the earth 
has become damp. 

Now, with the right hand, disentangle and 



POTTING AND REPOTTING 29 



Spread out the lower half of the mass of roots. 
If part of the ball of earth crumbles away, 
it does not matter. Then place enough 
soil in the new pot to bring the plant in about 
the right position — that is, with the sur- 
face (which should be loosened up) of the 
old ball about half an inch to one inch, 
according to size, below the rim of the pot. 

The potting stick (see page 32) will be 
useful in firming the soil. 

When removing palms, rubber plants, 
and other comparatively large-rooted plants 
from the pots, the roots will be found matted 
together in circles. If possible, without 
injuring the roots, remove the old drain- 
age. This will leave a large hole in the balL 
Before putting the plant in the new pot, 
fill up this hole with soil; otherwise it will allow 
the water to drain away too rapidly, and the 
interior of the ball becomes too dry. Some- 
times the roots are so matted that it is impos- 
sible to remove the drainage. 

POTTING UP CUTTINGS AND SMALL PLANTS 

Cuttings and seedlings are usually first 
potted up in thumb pots (two-inch), from 
which they are shifted to larger pots as soon 



30 



HOUSE PLANTS 



as the pots have become filled with roots. 
The soil used in filling these small pots must 
be free from all lumps. The better way to 
pot these small plants is to hold the cutting 
with the left hand and with the right 
hand fill in the soil. When the pot is full, 
firm the soil with the thumbs and then 
give the pot a sharp rap on the bench to 
settle the soil. 

Another way to pot up cuttings (but which 
I believe is not so good as the way already 
described, because the roots are much more 
liable to get bunched together) is to fill the 
pots with soil and then make a hole in the 
soil for the roots, after which the soil is 
firmed. This is also a slower method. 

LIFTING IN LATE FALL 

When potting plants in the fall which have 
been outdoors in the flower beds all summ.er, 
select only stocky, healthy plants. 

Dig them carefully so as to secure as many 
roots as possible. If the soil is clayey, it 
must be neither so wet that it is muddy 
and the roots cling together, nor so dry 
that the dirt crumbles entirely away from 
them. The right condition of soil can be 



POTTING AND REPOTTING 



31 



obtained by a thorough watering at least 
five hours before potting. 

If the plants are growing in sandy soil, 
it is better to have it rather dry, for then 
more of the working roots can be saved 
than if it is wet. 

After potting thoroughly water the plants 
and set them in a shaded place. Syringe the 
foliage several times a day until the roots have 
taken hold of the new soil; but under ordi- 
nary conditions, the soil will not again need 
watering until the new roots have been made. 
As soon as the plants have taken hold, gradu- 
ally inure them t© direct sunlight. 

MAKING WORK EASY 

Potting is done best on a bench which is 
about waist high. For the window garden a 
portable afFair will be found the most satis- 
factory. An old kitchen table on three sides 
of v^hich some boards, about a foot wide, 
have been fastened to keep the soil from fail- 
ing upon the floor will serve the purpose. 

The he&t way to work the soil in among 
the roots is to hold the plant with the left 
hand, put a little soil around the roots, and 
work the plant up and down a little. Put in 



32 



HOUSE PLANTS 



some more soil, and tamp it down with a pot- 
ting stick. It is possible to get the soil too 
firm, so use the potting stick with mioderation, 
and be careful not to strike the roots. 

A potting stick is usually made from a 
piece of pine about a foot long, an inch wide, 
and an inch thick, with the corners and ends 
rounded off. A piece of a broom handle 
is sometimics used. 

If the soil contains many lumps or coarse 
pieces of sod (as somietimes happens when 
the sod is not completely rotted), screen 
them out before potting. This will be neces- 
sary if the pots are small — six-inch and 
smaller — with larger pots it vv4il make but 
little diiFerence. The ordinary ash sieve is 
just the thing for this. Or you can make a 
sieve from a small box, say about eighteen 
inches square, cut off at a depth of three 
inches, and the bottom covered in with wire 
screen netting which has a quarter-inch or 
three-eighth-inch mesh, and sift the dirt 
through this. Save the coarse material, it 
will be useful when potting. 

In the bottom of each pot put some coarse 
drainage. Broken pots are usually used 
for this, but coal clinkers or stones are just 



REPOTTING 



It is far better to gradually shift on a plant as it requires more space 
than to plant it into too large a pot at the beginning. The soil sours. The 
proper method of " knocking out " and of firming the soil are shown above 



POTTING AND REPOTTING 



33 



as good. Use whichever is the handiest. 
Broken charcoal is very good also. The 
larger sizes of pots — three-inch and up — 
need crocking; use from a quarter of an inch 
to two inches of drainage according to the size 
of the pot. If you use broken pots, put the 
pieces in with the convex side up; the crocks 
will fit better. Over this drainage put some 
of the coarse screenings to keep the finer soil 
from washing down through. If there are 
no coarse screenings, use sphagnum moss. 

THE FALLACY OF LARGE POTS 

Don't work on the principle that the 
larger the pot and the more soil, the thriftier 
the plant. It is not the amount of food 
available, but the amount assimilated, that 
counts. As a rule, any pot which seems to 
be in proportion to the plant, holding soil 
enough to keep it from being top-heavy, 
w41l be sufficiently large. Most amateurs 
make a mistake in the size of the pot, using 
one a size or two too large. It is very 
easy, indeed, to over-pot a plant, strange 
as it may seem, and really nothing in the 
plant's life can be m.ore disastrous than an 
overlarge pot. Nine times out of ten the 



34 



HOUSE PLANTS 



plants will be over-watered and the soil 
become sour. 

Pots may be obtained at almost any hard- 
ware store. Buy the heavier ones, as the 
very thin ones now manufactured by some 
firms dry out too quickly. Soak new pots 
in water until they get through "bubbling"; 
otherwise, the soil of the newly potted plants 
will dry out too quickly. If the pots are old 
and green with algae, clean them by scrub- 
bing them with sand and water, for the 
''green" makes them less porous, and old 
earth dried on the inside surface interferes 
with the new root-growth. 

If potting is to be done with soil which 
has been mixed for some time, determine 
by the method described in the previous 
chapter whether or not it has sufficient 
moisture. If it has not, spread the soil out 
thinly on the bench, water it, and then turn 
it a couple of times to evenly distribute the 
moisture as directed on page 26. 



CHAPTER IV 



Raising Plants from Seeds 

The seed soil — Flats vs. pots — Sowing the seeds — 
Depth to cover — Watering — Pricking out the 
young plants — Transplanting — Possibilities of the 
window garden — Most easily grown plants. 

Many of the best house plants can be 
raised from seed in the ordinary Hving 
rooms, or where potted plants are grown 
in a window during winter. It is a question 
vvhether you actually save anything by 
raising your own plants; in all probability 
you could get them as cheaply and as good, 
if not better, from the florist, but there is 
no question about the fun in growing plants 
from the seed. There is a satisfaction in 
having things all your own, and the work 
offers engagement indoors at a time when 
gardening work outdoors is slack. 

HOME MADE " FLATS " 

Where only a few plants are to be started, 
unglazed pots or seed-pans are often used, 
35 



36 



HOUSE PLANTS 



but "flats'^ are cheaper. To make these 
buy from a grocery store some soap boxes. 
A convenient size is twelve by fifteen inches. 
Cut them into three-inch sections and nail 
bottoms on these, taking care to leave cracks 
between the boards or make four or five 
one-inch holes for drainage. The sides 
may be painted, if they are to be used in the 
house. These flats are better than pots 
both for starting the seed and pricking 
off, as they save care in watering, room, 
time, and trouble and the moisture in 
the soil is much more constant than in a 
small pot. 

The flats being ready mix the soil. A 
good seed soil is made from equal parts 

(1) fibrous loam from the compost heap, 

(2) sand, and (3) leafmould, woods earth, 
or peat. 

Over the holes or cracks in the flats put 
a one-half-inch layer of broken potsherds, 
coal clinkers, or gravel for drainage. Then 
put through a sieve part of the already 
mixed seed soil. You will then have two 
lots of soil, one coarse the other fine. Spread 
a one-half-inch layer of the coarse material 
over the drainage material that is already 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 37 



in the flat and on top of that fill the flat to 
within half an inch of the top with the fine, 
screened soil. Pack the soil in the corners 
and along the edges with your hands, because 
if you do not, it will settle there more than 
in the middle, and the waterings will wash 
down the soil, uncovering and often taking 
the seed with it. Firm the whole by means 
of a damp brick or board. 

SOWING THE SEED 

Make drills about two inches apart using 
a piece of narrow board as a marker, merely 
pressing it lightly into the soil for a quarter- 
inch or so. Sow the seeds thinly and evenly 
in the drills, and cover lightly; the best way 
to cover the seeds is to screen the soil on 
them, using a screen which has a mesh about 
the size of that in mosquito netting. A 
good rule to follow when covering seeds is 
to put on a layer of soil which is as deep 
as the diameter of the seeds. Sand, dry 
sphagnum, cocoanut fibre, or leafmould 
which has been rubbed through a fine 
screen, make very good coverings for seeds. 
They never get hard or bake, making an 
ideal covering — light, easily pushed through 



38 



HOUSE PLANTS 



by the tender seed-shoots, and retentive of 
moisture. 

Water the soil thoroughly after sowing. 
The best way is to set the flat in a large 
pan partly filled with water, allowing it to 
soak up from below. This is better than 
overhead watering because no matter how 
fine a spray is used it is liable to wash 
the soil. Another way is to water through 
a sheet of blotting paper. Place the 
blotting paper on top of the seed bed 
and slowly apply the water, allowing it to 
soak through the paper. The drip is thus 
avoided. 

Cover the box with a loose-fitting pane of 
glass to keep a more humid atmosphere, thus 
reducing evaporation from the soil. Every 
day remove the glass and wipe off any water 
of condensation which may be on it. Place 
the flat in a position where it will receive 
all the light possible, but shade it from the 
direct sunlight. 

THE DETAIL OF " PRICKING OUT" 

Pricking out is the first transplanting of 
the seedlings, and needs to be done tenderly. 
As a rule as soon as the seedlings have made 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 39 



their first two real leaves it is time to "prick 
out" into other flats, prepared similarly to the 
seed flat. 

Do not try to take each single seedling 
from the seedbed. Take out a portion of 
soil which has a number of seedlings in 
it, lay it on its side and gently separate 
the soil. 

The dibble is a very useful tool for this 
purpose. It is made from a small piece 
of wood one-fourth or three-eighths of an 
inch square, or round, and about four inches 
long. Make a tapering point — two inches 
long — on one end; the other should be 
drawn down to an edge. This latter will be 
very useful in separating the plants and 
firming the soil about the seedling when it 
has been set in the new soil. 

Put the little plants in rows an inch or two 
apart, water thoroughly, and shade for several 
days from^ hot sun with newspapers. Do not 
water again until the surface of the soil 
begins to dry. Do not delay the pricking 
off, do it just as soon as the little seedlings 
can be handled, for they may all be lost by 
"damping off, "or they may become drawn. 
Should the seedlings begin to damp off 



40 



HOUSE PLANTS 



apply some hot sand, sprinkling it on with a 
fine-meshed sieve. 

As soon as the plants need still more room 
prick them out singly into thumb (two-inch) 
pots. When transplanting insert the plant- 
let a little deeper than it was in the old bed. 

THE FATAL FROST 

All the plants named later in this chapter 
can be grown in an ordinary window, where 
ordinary living room conditions prevail. 
The temperature should be from 50 degrees 
to 55 degrees at night, and under no circum- 
stances must the freezing point be reached. 
The day temperature, if you can control it, 
may be allowed to rise 10 degrees on dull 
days and 15 degrees or 20 degrees will do 
no harm when the sun shines. 

RED BERRIES FOR CHRISTMAS 

Nothing is easier for the ovmer of a sunny 
window than to grow a few plants of the 
Jerusalem cherry (Solanum Pseudo-Capsi- 
cum\ as the spare room is needed only when 
the weather gets warm outside. I don't 
know of a more generally satisfactory Christ- 
mas plant either. It is symmetrical, full of 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 4I 

bright red berries, and may easily be had 
with a head a foot in diameter for the hoHdays 
from seeds sown during winter or spring. 
The "cherries" hang on for three months but 
in a gas laden atmosphere the leaves soon 
drop off. 

Sow the seeds in February, and as the 
plants fill their pots with roots, shift to a 
slightly larger pot. 

During summer, plunge them in a partially 
shady place outdoors, and give plenty of water. 
By pinching back, and turning, the plants 
may be kept symmetrical. When taken into 
the house in the fall, see that they get plenty 
of air and plenty of water at the roots, and 
syringe the foliage. Be careful about water- 
ing while the fruit is setting and ripening. 
To carry the plants over from one year to 
the next, cut back the old plants in the spring, 
and give the same treatment as they had 
the previous summer. 

A PLANT FOR BASKETS 

The best decorative plant for shelves, 
baskets, or hanging baskets is the foliage 
asparagus {A. Sprengeri). Its foliage is 
much coarser than that of the fine-leaved 



42 



HOUSE PLANTS 



asparagus {A. plumosus), somewhat resem- 
bling light, glossy-green pine-needles, stuck 
endwise upon viney stems. But its branches 
hang down gracefully on all sides, and make 
a handsome, symmetrical plant. If kept 
growing freely all summer the plant will 
produce an abundance of red berries about 
Christmas time, making a welcome addition 
at that season. 

VINES THAT FLOWER ALL WINTER 

I think no plants are more artistic, more 
beautiful for room decoration than the 
climbing vines. The fact that they are so 
seldom used for this purpose gives them an 
added distinction. For myself, I prefer the 
ivies, on account of their simple strength and 
grace; and they are best got at the florist's. 
But several good house vines are best 
raised from seed. The cup-and-saucer-flov/er 
(Cohcsa scandens), and Thunhergia alata, 
with its varieties, are the best two flowering 
vines for the house. The former has purple, 
bell-shaped flowers, two inches across, the 
latter having, according to the variety, 
blooms of golden yellow, rich orange, white 
and blue, or pure white, with white or dark 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 43 



centres, and about one and one-half inches 
across. Both these plants are perennials, 
but are often grown as annuals. They are 
easily raised from seed, are strong, rapid 
growers, and have very decorative foliage* 

If seeds are sown early in the year — 
January or February — the plants can be 
used outdoors during the summer, and in 
-September may be cut back, dug up, and 
potted for the window garden. By making 
successive sowings once a month until the 
end of May, the Thunbergia may be had in 
bloom all winter. The Coboea seeds must 
always be set edgewise in the ground. 

Two other vines which will give lots of 
pleasure if you have a sunny window are 
nasturtiums and morning-glory. I have 
seen morning-glory make a growth of six or 
seven feet when grown in an ordinary cigar 
box. The flowers and foliage were not as 
large as they would have been if grown out- 
doors, still the plants were healthy and 
flowered freely, affording much pleasure 
to the grower. 

The nasturtium will produce a wealth of 
red and yellow flowers, but it absolutely 
demands an abundance of sunlight; if you 



44 



HOUSE PLANTS 



cannot grow it in a south window where it 
will receive direct rays from the sun for the 
greater part of the day, flowers need not be 
expected. Seeds sown in July or August 
in two-inch pots, from which they are shifted 
to four-inch, and later to six-inch pots, will 
flower some time about Thanksgiving or 
Christmas, and will continue flowering the 
rest of the winter. A six-inch pot is suffi- 
ciently large for one plant, but very pretty 
effects can be made by growing six or seven 
plants in a larger pot, say nine- or ten-inch 
and training them over a trellis. 

VINES GROWN FOR FOLIAGE 

The smilax of the florists (Asparagus 
medeoloidesy also known as Myrsiphyllum 
asparagoides) is also one of the best vines 
for the amateur's window garden. Planted 
in boxes, it can be trained to the window 
cases. The shaded places in the window 
garden are admirably adapted to its neces- 
sities, so it can be used where other green 
plants refuse to grow. The plant will 
make a growth ten feet long, and must have a 
string to climb upon. The foliage is a dark, 
glossy green, and there are single white 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 45 



flowers in winter, which are very fragrant. 
The seeds must be sown in January or Feb- 
ruary, and when the young plants are two 
or three inches high, and are making their 
characteristic leaves, transplant them singly 
to two-inch pots. In May they will need 
shifting to three-inch pots. 

July is the time when the florists plant 
them out in beds in the greenhouse, but in 
the window garden, where a bed is not pos- 
sible, I use a long, narrow box, six inches 
wide, as much deep, and two feet long. In 
this five plants are set. This is a little 
closer than the florists plant them, but 
as I have only a single row, it gives them 
plenty of room for development. The soil 
should be very rich — a fibrous loam, to 
which is added half-rotted cow manure 
and sand, one part each to three parts 
of loam. 

The strings must be arranged just as soon 
as the seedlings are planted. The best 
material for this, because of its strength and 
colour, is the green smilax string used by flor- 
ists, from whom it may be bought. Should 
you desire to use the smilax for festooning else- 
where about the house, the strings with the 



46 



HOUSE PLANTS 



twining vine may be cut, and the roots will 
immediately start a new growth of stem. 
Make a new sowing of seed each year, as it 
does not pay to hold the plants over from 
one year to another. They need a night 
temperature of 50 degrees to 65 degrees. 

ASPARAGUS THIRTY FEET HIGH 

The most popular of the so-called aspara- 
gus ferns, A. plumosus, var. nanus, may 
be trained in vine form, too. I have seen this 
"dwarP^ growing to the height of thirty or forty 
feet, with great stems like tangled creepers 
in a jungle. This is the best variety, because 
it can be used for short sprays, as a decora- 
tive pot plant, or as a vine. There is no 
foliage more beautiful than the delicate, 
light green, feathery sprays of this asparagus, 
and yet, in spite of its fairy-lace appearance, 
when cut it keeps both its colour and fresh- 
ness for a very long time. 

This plant is a slow grower, and it is 
important to have fresh seed. Sow in a good, 
light seed soil — /. e., one having plenty of 
leafmould and sand in it. When the young 
plants begin to make good root growth, 
transplant to three or four inch pots. This 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 4? 



size pot will be sufficiently large for the plants 
all next winter. If the growth is too long 
and straggly, pinch back, as is necessary. 
In the summer time you must decide how 
you wish to grow the plants — as dwarfs, 
or as vines. 

To grow a handsome pot plant which can 
be used for decoration anywhere in the house, 
shift the young plants to a five or six inch 
pot, and use a good, rich, but well-drained 
soil. When the new growths are a foot or 
so long pinch out the ends. This v/ill keep 
the plant dwarfed and shapely. 

To grow as a vine, plant in boxes just like 
smilax, and be very particular that the soil 
and boxes are well drained. 

The seeds of this asparagus are expensive, 
because it does not fruit freely. 

IN FLOWER ALL THE YEAR 

Of course you will want flowers, as well as 
green foliage. Perhaps the very best all- 
purpose flowering plant is Primula ohconica, 
var. grandifiora^ which is not tender, and 
blooms the whole twelve months. It is the 
most graceful of all primroses. Its large, 
single flowers are borne in clusters on the 



48 



HOUSE PLANTS 



tops of Stems which are four to ten inches 
high, and their pale, white cheeks just tinged 
with blue or blushed with rose. In well- 
grown specimens the individual flowers are 
often an inch and a half across. The leaves 
are almost round, sometimes four inches in 
diameter, borne on long stems, and forming 
a rosette supporting the flower stalks. The 
hairs on the leaves are irritating or poisonous 
to some people, which accounts to some 
extent for the plant not being more popular. 
Certainly it will grow in a more varied range 
of temperature, and flower longer than any 
other house plant. 

Sow the seed any time from January to 
March. It may be sown later, but unless you 
have a coldframe in which to shade the seed- 
lings, the young plants will be more difficult 
to manage. By May the seedlings should 
be ready for thumb-pots. A few days 
after potting, give abundance of air — 
though keep shaded — and never allow them 
to get dry. Syringe them on bright mornings, 
and after the middle of September keep 
the temperature about 50 degrees at night. 
In potting and repotting — they will require 
several shifts — take care not to press in too 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 



49 



firmly about the roots, and not to cover the 
crowns of the plants. 

FLOWERS FOR FRAGRANCE 

The one plant which will give the greatest 
amount of satisfaction on more distinct 
counts than any other in the window is the 
cherry pie (Heliotr opium Peruvianum). The 
beautiful purple colour of the flowers com- 
bined with the sweet, spicy perfume (whence 
its English name) and the long period of 
bloom, combine to make this an ideal window 
garden plant. 

Originally the heliotrope flowers were 
violet coloured and borne in trusses about 
two inches across, but now, after much 
impiovement by breeding, they are also to 
be found in several shades of purple and even 
white, and the individual trusses six inches 
across. 

Grown in pots or boxes, a plant will 
ultimately cover a space about eighteen 
inches square, and attain a height of a foot 
or fifteen inches. 

If you want to do something a little 
unusual, grow a few of the plants to a tree 
form. When handled this way four crops 



50 



HOUSE PLANTS 



of flov/ers can be had from one plant from 
May to October. Such plants are extremely 
useful for hall and porch decoration. 

Sow the seeds at any time from February 
to May, and grow the plants in pots all sum- 
mer, as the heliotrope objects to removal 
or any interference with its roots. 

If the plants are kept in the dwelling house 
during the summer, give as cool and moist 
an atmosphere as possible, for though they 
like sunlight, too much dry heat will scorch 
both leaves and flowers. Pinch back the 
plants wanted for v/inter flowers so as to 
give them a stocky form and to prevent 
them from making flowers in the summer. 
If possible, plunge them outside in the flower 
border, turning them once in a while to 
prevent their rooting through the hole in 
the bottom of the pot. Take them into the 
house upon the approach of cold weather. 
Plunging means setting the potted plant 
in the soil, up to the rim of the pot. This 
keeps the roots cool. 

SUCCESS WITH MIGNONETTE 

Measured by the fragrance alone I believe 
that the mignonette (Reseda odor at a) is by 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 



far the best window plant for home raising. 
The pyramidal flower heads are unattractive 
in colour, but they exhale a most delicious 
odour — there is nothing else just like it. 

Mignonette is very hard to transplant; 
indeed it is impossible to do it without giv- 
ing the plants a check, and the secret of 
growing good mignonette lies in growing 
it on without a check at any stage of its 
growth. For winter bloom sow the seeds 
in July, August, or September. July-sown 
seed will bloom in Novemiber. Instead of 
sowing in flats sow directly in pots. 

Prepare as described for flats as many tv/o- 
inch pots as you wish plants to grow. Make 
a slight depression in the soil in the centre 
of each and drop into it two or three seeds, 
covering lightly with soil. When the seed 
has germinated (about two weeks) thin to 
one plant to a pot, retaining the strongest. 
When the pot has become filled with roots 
shift to four-inch pots and as soon as these 
are full of roots shift to eight-inch pots. 
When giving this last shift put in a two-inch 
layer of drainage. Be very careful not to 
over-water or the soil will sour; but, on the 
other hand, mignonette must never get dry 



52 



HOUSE PLANTS 



— that would cause a check. For the same 
reason never allow the plants to become pot- 
bound. 

When the plants get about four inches 
high, pinch out the centre of the middle 
shoot. Two or three new shoots will come 
out from the stem, and these, with the five 
or six which have developed, will make a 
well-shaped plant. Pinch out any other 
shoots which may start. When the plants 
get about six inches high, they will need 
staking. For this, use small, round stakes 
that will be inconspicuous — birch or willow 
twigs are excellent for this — putting one 
to each stem. 

When the plants get about ten inches high, 
and before the flower heads show, pinch out 
the tops of the stems so as to induce all 
the shoots to flower at the same time. When 
the flower buds commence to show, give the 
plants weak manure water for about a week, 
if the pots are well filled with roots. As 
the buds develop, give it oftener — say 
about twice a week. If you have grown the 
mignonette carefully without a check, there 
is no reason why you should not have nice 
plants, bearing anywhere from a dozen to 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 53 



fifteen good spikes. The mignonette is a 
cool-loving plant, and it is said that plants 
grown in a cool temperature will produce 
more fragrant flowers than those grown 
in a warm temperature. 

I have never grown, nor have I seen, 
snapdragon (^Antirrhinum majus) in the 
house, but I would not hesitate to try it. 
In a cool greenhouse it is almost as easy to 
grow as weeds. It can be had in beau- 
tiful spikes a foot long, and in white, yellow, 
and red. 

For flowers the following winter, sow the 
seed in July, or early in August, and grow on 
the plants as rapidly as possible, shifting 
them from the two inch pots in which they 
are started to four inch, and, later, five or 
six inch, when they demand it. 

THE LOVELY CYCLAMEN 

No plant gives better satisfaction than the 
Persian cyclamen (C. latifoliuni). It is well 
worth trying in the window garden. Its 
flowers last a long time in good condition, 
and it has a wealth of colour. The flowers 
are very curiously shaped, reminding one of 
its relative the shooting star (Dodecatheon). 



54 



HOUSE PLANTS 



They are white or varying in different shades 
of pink to very dark rose colour, with a purple 
blotch at the mouth. There is a form the 
petals of which have fringed edges. 

These are best grown from seed, and so 
constant are some of the strains that one can 
buy named forms which come true. The 
largest flowered form is called giganteum, 
but the large flowers are produced at the 
expense of quantity, so the amateur would 
better content himself with the good strain 
of a smaller flowered form. It takes fifteen 
months to grow the cyclamens from seed to 
flower, and they must never receive a check. 
When through flowering throw the bulbs 
away; they do not do well when held over. 

For spring flowers the seeds are sown in 
November or December. These are slow 
to appear above ground because a little bulb 
is formed before the first leaf shows. As 
soon as two leaves have been made, trans- 
plant the seedlings to four or five inch pots, 
placing several in a pot, and putting them 
near the outside. These young seedlings 
are very apt to suffer from too much water 
and over-potting — when the plants have 
about half a dozen leaves shift them to 



RAISING PLANTS FROM SEEDS 



55 



three inch pots. They will not need another 
shift until the middle of summer when I 
should put them into four inch pots. In 
September shift them to five or six inch 
pots, in which they will flower. The best 
soil is a good fibrous loam and leafmould, 
well-decayed horse manure, and sand in 
about equal parts. 

Directions for raising cactus, etc., are 
given in the chapter specially devoted to 
that class of plants (see page 1 66). 

Other plants which may be grown from 
seed successfully in the house are: 

Flowering maple, Ahutilon striatum; 
Floss flower, Ageratum Mexicanum; Amie- 
thyst, Browallia demissa (^elata); Chimney 
bell flower, Campanula pyramid alis; Cigar 
plant, Cuphea platycentra; Trumpet flower. 
Datura .cornucopia; Dragon plant, Draccena 
indivisa; Balsam, Impatieijs Balsamina; 
Cypress vine, Ipomoea Quamoclit; Mina, 
I pomes a versicolor (Adina lobata); Lem.on 
verbena. Lip pi a citriodora; Ice plant, Mes- 
emhryanthemum crystallinum; Wax plant, 
Mesemhryanthemum tricolor. Another w^ax 
plant, Hoya carnosa, is propagated by 
division or by cuttings. Fig marigold, 



56 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Mesemhryanthemum cordtfoltum, var. varie- 
gatum; Musk plant, Mimulus moschatus; 
Flowering tobacco, Nicotiana affinis; Nico- 
tiana sylvestrts, Nicotiana Sanderce; Oxlip, 
Primula elatior; Chinese primrose, Primula 
Sinensis; Baby primrose, Primula Forhesi; 
Scarlet sage, Salvia splendens; Wishbone 
plant, Torenia Fournieri; Canary-bird vine, 
Tropceolum Canariense; Madagascar peri- 
winkle. Vine a rosea; White periwinkle. Vine a 
rosea, var. alha; Pansy, Viola tricolor. 



CHAPTER V 



Propagation by Cuttings, Etc. 

The sand bed — Temperature — A home-made prop- 
agating box — Making a cutting — Propagating 
from leaves, roots, and offsets — Geraniums — 
Dracaenas Umbrella plant — Making new rubber 
plants. 

It is easy, indeed, to grow from seeds 
such plants as are described in the preceding 
chapter; but this is impossible with the 
named varieties of fuchsias, geraniums, 
and such like. Then, again, seeds of 
such things as rubber plant and screw 
pine are seldom offered for sale. There- 
fore, one must resort to some other means 
of propagation. 

Cuttings or slips, made from pieces of 
the stem or root or leaf, are generally 
used. Sometimes, however, increase is by 
some form of division of the roots; each 
plant has its own particular method. But 
most of the plants which may be grown 
easily in the house, and which are not 
57 



58 



HOUSE PLANTS 



grown from seed, may be grown from 
cuttings of the stem. 

THE SAND BED 

The best medium in which to root cut- 
tings is damp sand. An ordinary soap 
box, cut down so as to be about six 
inches deep, will furnish sufficient space to 
root all the cuttings necessary to supply 
any ordinary window garden. In the bottom 
bore five or six one-inch holes, and put 
a layer about an inch deep of broken 
pots, gravel, or broken up coal clinkers for 
drainage. Over this put a little sphagnum 
moss to keep the sand from sifting down 
through the drainage; then put in a three 
or four inch layer of sand; moisten and 
pack it down with a brick. Have it per- 
fectly level. The bed is now ready for 
the cuttings. 

One drawback to the home propagation 
of plants is the great fluctuation of tem- 
perature. If enough bottom heat can be 
given so that the temperature of the sand 
can be kept about 80 degrees day and 
night and the box deep enough so that a 
piece of glass or newspaper can be placed 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS, ETC. 59 



over the top without injuring the cuttings, 
the difficulty can be got around, 

HOME-MADE PROPAGATING BOX 

One amateur solved the problem in a 
very simple and inexpensive way. This 
is how he did it: 

"Three boxes are necessary. Soap boxes 
will do, if the length and width are equal, 
so that they will closely fit upon one another. 
Besides these, there will be needed a large, 
deep pan; two half-gallon jugs; sufficient 
zinc to serve as a bottom for one of the boxes; 
one peck of coarse sand, and a foot heater, 
such as is used in carriages during the winter. 

"Using one of the boxes as a base, bore a 
few holes near the top for ventilators, which 
can be controlled by the use of corks. In 
this lower box place jugs filled with hot water 
during the day, when little heat will be 
required. At night use the foot heater, 
putting in about one-half cake of fuel just 
before retiring. Take off the top of one of 
the boxes and nail strips along the sides wide 
enough to hold the pan of water. This 
box will rest over the compartment with the 
heater. Cut the last box so that the back 



6o 



HOUSE PLANTS 



is about three inches higher than the front, 
in order to get the best distribution of Hght. 
Fill it to the depth of three inches with 
coarse sand. 

"This is the upper box, and should be 
covered with a pane of glass. If these 
boxes fit tightly upon one another so no 
heat can escape, and if the jugs and pan are 
filled with hot water, a temperature of 80 
degrees can be maintained all day by filling 
the jugs two or three times. Keep a small 
thermometer plunged in the sand, and for 
a few days before putting in your cuttings 
experiment to ascertain under just what con- 
ditions the heater will do the most satis- 
factory work. 

" I filled the box with cuttings from rubber 
plants, plunging them in the sand without 
other preparation than cutting them with a 
sharp knife, leaving the surface clean and 
smooth. I did not lose one of the lot. Rub- 
ber plants grow so tall after a few years that 
one feels impelled to shorten them. This can 
easily be accomplished by cutting off the top 
and rooting it. Young plants may also be 
started from each joint of the old stem, thus 
from one old plant which has outgrown its 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS, ETC. 6 1 

usefulness a great many can be raised easily. 
After the rubber plants I put in Pandanus 
Veitchii with success. Then I took a few 
large leaves of Begonia Rex, cut the ribs on 
the back, made a number of incisions in 
the leaves, and then placed them on the 
sand, pressing them down to make a good 
contact all around. From each incision a 
plant started, and in six weeks I potted off 
twenty-five sturdy, clean begonias from five 
leaves. 

" During the day I kept my bed in a good 
light near the window, ventilated it by rais- 
ing the glass, protected it with paper when 
the sun was strong, and at night, when cold, 
I threw a carriage robe over it. From the 
results I have had I feel convinced that the 
little propagating bed is as practical as the 
larger ones used in greenhouses, and will do 
the same work on a reduced scale." 

Before putting the cuttings in the cutting 
bed the amateur should run it a day or two in 
order to learn how to maintain an even heat. 

HOW TO MAKE A CUTTING 

All cuttings of the stems are made nearly 
alike, the only difference being that with 



62 HOUSE PLANTS 

different kinds of plants the length of the 
cuttings varies in proportion to the diameter 
of the stem and the distance between the 
buds. For instance: a geranium cutting 
is usually made about three or three and one 
half inches long, while that of a heliotrope 
is usually one and a quarter to one and a 
half inches long. 

A sharp knife is needed so as not to bruise 
the stem. To make a good geranium cut- 
ting select a well-ripened end of a stem, 
cut it off at the required length, and just 
below a node (where a leaf is attached). 
It is important that the cut should be made 
just below a node, for roots are more freely 
produced than when the cut is made between 
the nodes. In many instances cuttings will 
not root at all if the cut is made anywhere 
but directly under the node. 

Trim off carefully all the leaves except 
one at the top and trim off also all the 
stipules, those leafy growths on the stems 
where the leaves join. If these are left 
on they will decay and may lead to the 
cutting rotting, too. 

Put the cutting in the sand, setting it 
deep enough to hold it erect, which will be 



tuO_C 



E P 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS, ETC. 63 



about three-quarters of an inch. If you 
are making a lot of cuttings quite a num- 
ber can be made before putting them in 
the sand; but do not let the cut surface be 
exposed to the air too long or the chances 
of rooting will be greatly lessened. 

Geranium cuttings should be set about 
an inch apart in the row, and the rows about 
two inches apart. If they are put closer 
they are much more likely to rot. Always 
dibble in the cuttings; simply forcing 
them down into the sand will injure the 
ends so that the cuttings will not root. 
After putting the cuttings in the sand, 
water them and shade them from the sun 
with a single sheet of newspaper. Other 
plants which may be propagated this way 
are heliotrope, ageratum, coleus, abutilon, 
hydrangea,' etc. 

The dracaena is another plant which may 
be cultivated by cuttings of the stems, but 
instead of making these cuttings as I have 
described for the geranium, the long, bare 
stem is cut into pieces tw^o or three inches 
long, each of which must have a node, and 
the pieces laid down in the sand — they 
should be just covered. Each piece will 



64 



HOUSE PLANTS 



make at least one new plant. When the 
new growth is 2 1 to 3 inches long, it is taken 
off the old stem and put in the cutting bench 
just like any cutting of the stem. The old 
stem is left in the sand for it frequently 
will provide more cuttings. 

The bouvardia (one of the best plants 
one can grow for cut flowers at Christmas 
time) is increased in much the same way, 
but instead of cutting the stem into small 
pieces the rot)t is cut up and the pieces 
treated exactly as if they were seeds. 

PROPAGATING BY LEAVES 

That new plants can be made from the 
leaves of old plants is a never failing source 
of interest to a great many people. The 
plant which is most commonly propa- 
gated this way is Begonia Rex. Take an old 
leaf and turn it upside down on a board, 
and with a sharp knife cut the veins. Then 
place the leaf right side up on damp sand, 
pin it down with toothpicks which have 
been bent in two, and shade it. At each 
cut in the leafs vein a new plant will be 
formed. As soon as they have made a 
couple of small leaves separate the young 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS, ETC. 65 



plants from the old leaf and pot them off in a 
sandy soil with lots of leafmould in it. 

The pretty little marble-leaved peper- 
omia is another plant propagated from the 
leaf, but instead of cutting the leaf it is laid 
on the sand and the leaf stalk covered up. 
The gloxinia may also be propagated by 
tubers forming at the cuts. 

The umbrella plant (Cyperus alterni- 
folius) is perhaps the easiest of all plants 
to propagate by rooting the leaves. It 
is the simplest anyway. Cut off the bunch of 
leaves with, perhaps, one-quarter or one- 
eighth of an inch of stem, and put it in water. 
Never allow the water to become stale, 
which is best done by adding to it a few 
pieces of charcoal. In a few weeks a new 
plant will be seen pushing up from among 
the leaflets. Carefully separate it from 
the old leaf and pot it up. 

PROPAGATING BY OFFSET 

Some plants produce a lot of suckers 
or rosettes at the base of the plant, near 
the ground. Familiar examples of this are 
hen and chickens, and the screw pine 
(Pandanus Veitchii). The former forms 



66 



HOUSE PLANTS 



little rosettes which simply have to be taken 
olF and put in sand for a short time. The 
suckers from the screw pine are taken off, the 
leaves shortened back to reduce transpira- 
tion, and then put in the sand like cuttings 
of other plants. They root in a few weeks. 

PROPAGATING BY RUNNERS 

Runners differ from offsets in that the 
plant produces a small wiry stem which 
will form a new plant if the end is covered 
with soil. The two commonest house plants 
increased by this method are the strawberry 
geranium and the sword fern. The straw- 
berry geranium will form new leaves on these 
runners before roots are produced, so if 
there is not a chance to allow them to root 
in the pot before separating the young 
plantlets from the mother plant they may 
be taken off and put in sand like any ordinary 
cutting. The young ferns must be rooted 
before being separated from the parent plants. 

MAKING NEW RUBBER PLANTS 

A well-kept rubber plant will in a couple 
of years become too ungainly for the house. 
Many times one does not care to part with 



PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS, ETC. 67 

it because of some sentiment attached to it. 
Two things may be done to make a shapely 
plant. The quickest way to reduce the 
plant is to cut it down to within a foot or 
fifteen inches of the ground. New shoots 
will appear in a short time that will trans- 
form the stub into a shapely, round-headed 
tree. 

The other thing to do is to make a slant- 
ing cut in the stem far enough from the top 
so that when cut off it will make a shapely 
plant. Put a small piece of wood or char- 
coal in the cut to keep it open. Over the 
cut lay some damp sphagnum moss, and be 
sure that it always is damp, but do not let it 
become too damp or it may get sour. In 
a few weeks new roots will be seen pro- 
truding through the moss. When a mass 
of roots has been produced cut the stem off 
below the moss and pot the plant, moss and 
all, in a good potting soil. Put it in a 
shaded place for a few days until the roots 
have taken hold of the soil. 

This method is often varied by carefully 
splitting a pot in halves, putting them about 
the stem of the plant, and then filling the 
pot with a mixture of soil and sphagnum 



68 



HOUSE PLANTS 



moss. The moss is added to prevent rapid 
drying out of the soil. 

Any plant which will grow from cuttings 
may be increased by this method, but it 
is usually employed only on hardwooded 
plants like the rubber plant, ardisia, dra- 
cena, etc. 



CHAPTER VI 



In Sickness and in Health 

The relationship between plants and people — High 
temperatures — Cold draughts — Bad watering — 
Dust — Chills — Unnecessary fussing — Coal and 
illuminating gases — Insect pests and remedies — 
Freak remedies. 

The ideal conditions for house plants 
are practically^ the same as for human 
beings; that is, a temperature of about 65 
to 70 degrees during the day time, and 
50 degrees to 55 degrees at night. It may 
not always be possible to maintain this 
warmth at night, but strive to keep as near 
it as possible. 

Plants grown in a window will invariably 
turn to the light, and unless the position is 
frequently changed, they will become one- 
sided. To avoid this, turn the plants half- 
way around each day, so that each half of the 
plant will get an equal amount of light. 

During the winter have a care that none 
of the leaves of the plants touch the glass 
69 



70 



HOUSE PLANTS 



during the night or when there is frost out- 
side, because it will at least chill, and maybe 
kill them. 

On very cold nights move the boxes or 
pots away from the window and put news- 
papers in front of the glass, but leave a dead 
air space between. 

The next consideration is fresh air; keep 
the rooms well ventilated, /. have a win- 
dow open somewhere in the room, preferably 
on the opposite side from the plants, for 
they cannot stand draughts. When a room 
gets too warm and too dry, the plants trans- 
pire an excessive amount of water — faster 
than the roots can supply it from the soil — 
but, worse still, the surface of the soil itself 
is dried out, and even the pot as well. Thus 
an irreparable injury is done before the 
owner realizes it. 

TOO HIGH A TEMPERATURE 

When plants are grown in an abnormally 
high temperature, with moisture, the growth 
is forced, and, being soft, is easily injured. 
A strong draught, even if only lo degrees 
or 20 degrees cooler than the surrounding 
air, will seriously chill plants in this con- 



IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH 71 

dition. The result will be that plants like the 
geranium and heliotrope will turn yellow 
and drop their leaves; with palms, the tips of 
the leaves will turn brown. To get the 
plants back into proper condition will take 
months of careful attention, and in the case 
of palms or ferns it will take a year — prefer- 
ably at the florist's. 

To give the atmosphere the proper amount 
of moisture have a small dish on the radiator, 
register, or stove, and keep it full of water. 
Most hot air furnaces have a water com- 
partment inside the jacket which holds 
about a pailful. Under ordinary conditions 
this will need filling only once a day, but 
during the coldest days of winter, when 
the firing is heavy, it may be necessary to 
fill it twice. 

WATERING 

The second most exacting requirement of 
plants is watering. Too much water will 
make the soil sour; with too little water the 
plant will wilt. The effect of either will be 
yellowing and dropping of the leaves. It is 
easier, however, to drown a plant than to kill 
it by drought. No hard and fast rule for 



72 



HOUSE PLANTS 



watering can be made. Plants may need 
water twice a day or only once in two days. 
The best way to determine whether a plant 
is dry is to rap the pot sharply with the 
knuckles of the hand. A hollow, or ringing 
sound shows that the soil needs water; 
a heavy, dull sound indicates that it has 
sufficient moisture. Usually you can tell 
whether the soil needs watering by looking 
at the surface. If it is dry and powdery 
give water. 

The common fault in watering is not doing 
the job thoroughly. Never give a little sur- 
face sprinkling. The best way, if convenient, 
is to take the plants to the sink or bath tub 
and give the soil a good watering, allow- 
ing the pot to stay in the sink until the sur- 
plus water has had a chance to drain off. 
If it is impossible to do this, have a saucer 
under each pot and ten or fifteen minutes 
after the watering go around and turn out 
all the water standing in the saucers. Never 
allow water to remain in the saucers as it 
will prevent aeration through the hole in the 
bottom of the pot, and also it will rot the 
roots. When plants are kept in jardinieres 
people often grow careless, let water collect 



IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH 73 



in the bottom and then wonder why the plant 
is not doing well. 

If by any chance the ball of earth should 
become very dry, plunge it in a pailful of water 
and let it stand five or ten minutes — until 
the whole ball is soaked through. When the 
air-bubbles cease to rise the ball is gener- 
ally thoroughly soaked. Pouring water on 
the top of the soil of a dried-out pot plant is 
generally useless because the ball contracts in 
drying and leaves a small space between itself 
and the pot down which the water will run. 

DUST ON THE LEAVES 

Bathe the leaves frequently to remove 
dust, which will inevitably settle on them and 
choke up the pores. When the plant is in the 
sink or tub a hand syringe can be used to 
spray the foliage without wetting the floor. 
If this is inconvenient then carefully rub 
over the surface of each leaf with a damp 
sponge. If necessary, a little soap may be 
used in the water. 

DISTURBING THE ROOT 

Many amateurs do serious injury to their 
house plants by not leaving well enough alone 



74 



HOUSE PLANTS 



while growth is dormant, or almost so. It is 
simply folly to fuss about with potted plants 
at that season. Do not disturb the roots at all 
during the winter, for most plants are rest- 
ing and cannot quickly put out new roots. 
This is particularly true of such decora- 
tive plants as palms, rubber plants, and 
ferns, which can be shifted or fed with fer- 
tilizers only in summer. Soft wooded plants, 
like geraniums and heliotropes, are not 
so easily injured by transplanting, but even 
so I prefer to put them in large enough pots 
in the fall so that they will not need shifting 
until spring. If they should need extra 
feeding, on account of large growth, it is 
much better given in liquid form. 

LIQUID FERTILIZERS 

The best form of liquid plant food is 
made from cow manure — at the rate of 
two bushels to a barrel (fifty gallons) of water 
— because there is no danger of burning 
the roots; horse manure and sheep manure 
are also good, but they must be used very 
weak (one bushel of the former, and one- 
half bushel of the latter to a barrel of water) 
or they Vvill injure the roots. I have used 



IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH 75 



horse manure very successfully when the 
liquid was the colour of very weak tea. 
These are mussy to handle. Neater are the 
special plant foods put up in tablet, liquid, 
or powder forms. These can be bought in 
the local stores, or ordered from the cata- 
logues of seedsmen. 

If you wish to make a good liquid fertilizer 
at home the following recipe will give satis- 
faction. To one gallon of water add eight 
ounces of nitrate of soda, sixteen ounces 
of monobasic calcium phosphate, and ten 
ounces of sulphate of potash. For use 
dilute it, using one part of this stock 
solution to thirty parts of water, and use 
it about once a week. 

COAL OR FURNACE GAS 

Perhaps the greatest enemy of plants 
grown in houses heated by hot air furnaces 
or coal stoves is coal gas. An otherwise 
imperceptible trace of it in the air will 
cause the leaves of some plants (as Jerusalem 
cherry) to drop off promptly. With a good 
chimney draught and with proper regulation 
of the dampers when attending to the fire 
there should be no trouble from this source. 



76 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Illuminating gas is almost as bad as 
coal gas. The slightest trace will retard the 
development of new leaves on all but the 
toughest-textured plants, like rubbers and 
palms. Such thin-leaved plants as geranium, 
coleus, heliotrope, and begonia succumb 
quickly. When gas is present in very small 
quantity the plants do not necessarily die but 
growth is stunted and the flower buds wither 
when beginning to show colour, looking 
much as though they had been chilled. 

TOBACCO FOR PLANT LICE 

The commonest insect enemies of house 
plants are the plant lice or aphides. Look 
for these pests on the under side of the leaves 
where they suck the sap. Against them 
use tobacco water or soap suds. Tobacco 
water can be made from tobacco "stems" 
w^hich can be bought from almost any florist 
or seedsman. Put a large handful into a 
gallon of warm water and let it stand for 
twenty-four hours, then dilute it to the colour 
of weak tea and syringe the foliage, being 
careful to hit the under side of the leaves. 
A simpler way is to buy a tobacco extract and 
follow the directions on the package. 



IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH 



77 



If soap suds are used rinse the plants with 
clear water afterward. 

If the plants are grown in a conservatory, 
or a room that can be completely shut off from 
the rest of the house, fumigating is the easiest 
and best method of fighting the aphides. 

For this tobacco stems can be used, but the 
tobacco preparations oiFered in the stores 
are easier to handle, according to directions. 

One can now buy sheets of paper which 
are impregnated with tobacco, and all that 
is necessary is to distribute enough sheets 
about the room to give the required density 
of smoke and set them afire. 

Whatever method is used select a quiet 
night for it and shut the room tight. By 
morning all evidences of the smoke will have 
disappeared. Then syringe the plants to 
knock off the aphides. Badly infested plants 
will need fumigating twice a week on suc- 
cessive nights. 

A SIMPLE FUMIGATOR 

A simple fumigating device may be made 
from a soap box and three or four paper flour 
sacks. Turn the box upside down and in 
the bottom bore a lot of one-inch holes. . In 



78 



HOUSE PLANTS 



one end of the box make a hole big enough 
to put a saucer through. Cut open the sides 
of the bags in such a way that they can be 
pasted together again to make one large bag, 
the open end of which will fit over the box. 

Now place the plant or plants to be fumi- 
gated on the still inverted box and draw the 
big paper bag dov\^n over them and tie it 
securely to the box with a string. In the 
saucer place one of the forms of tobacco — 
ground tobacco, or tobacco soaked paper 
or tobacco punk — light and place it inside 
of the box. Be very careful v/hen fumiga- 
ting the plants not to use the tobacco too 
strong or the leaves will become scorched. 
When the sack has become sufficiently filled 
with tobacco, remove the burning tobacco 
from the box. Let the plant stand half an 
hour with the sack on, then remove it, and 
syringe the plant with water to knock off 
the stupified aphides. Two light fumigations 
on succeeding days is much less liable to 
injure the plant than is one strong fumigation. 

THE ROOT APHIS 

An aphis sometimes attacks the roots, 
causing the plants to take on a sickly or 




THE EFFECT OF DRY AIR 



One of the commonest causes of trouble with house plants is an undue 
dryness of the air, causing the young growing tips of the plants to col- 
lapse and die. Illuminating gas ii; small quantities is equally fatal 



IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH 79 



yellow colour. It is easily found by dig- 
ging down near the base of the stem, and 
is attacked by watering with the tobacco 
water already described. If this does not 
kill the aphides the plant must be removed 
from the soil, the roots washed with whale- 
oil soap (one quarter pound to two gal- 
lons of water). Then rinse and repot in 
fresh, clean soil. 

RED SPIDER 

Next to the aphides in destructiveness is 
the red spider, a very small red mite which 
can scarcely be seen by the naked eye. It 
lives on the under side of the leaves, but its 
presence can be readily told by numerous 
minute yellow spots on the upper side. Like 
the aphis the red spider subsists on the 
plant's juices. It thrives in a hot, dry atmos- 
phere, and its presence is a sure sign of 
insufficient moisture. The conditions ordi- 
narily found in living rooms are very favour- 
able for this pest. The remedy is obvious: 
syringe the plants with water, applying it 
on the under side of the leaves, and with 
considerable force because the spider is 
protected behind a web. 



8o 



HOUSE PLANTS 



MEALY BUG 

Mealy bug, which is almost always present 
in the greenhouse, sometimes infests house 
plants, too. This insect looks like a small 
tuft of white cotton, and is found on the under 
side of the leaves and in the joints. A 
strong stream of water will usually wash it 
off, but if that fails use kerosene emulsion 
or fir tree oil, which must be diluted accord- 
ing to the directions on the package, and 
applied as a spray or with a feather. Alcohol 
has also been successfully used when there 
were only a few mealy bugs. With a feather 
or small stick put one drop on each bug> 
and he will immediately succumb. 

VARIOUS SCALES 

Very often scale insects will be found on 
the leaves of palms, ferns, rubber plants 
and cycads. The commonest one is the 
brown scale. It is one-quarter to three- 
eighths of an inch long, and nearly as wide, 
and its hard, convexed shell is dark brown 
in colour. The other scale commonly found 
on greenhouse plants is white, and about the 
size of the head of a pin. 



IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH 8l 



Both these scales can be removed easily by 
spraying with whale oil soap, kerosene emul- 
sion, or fir tree oil. 

THRIPS 

Sometimes plants are infected with thrips, 
which eat the epidermis of the leaves. They 
are small, slender, brown or black insects, 
about one-fourth of an inch long, and are 
easily controlled by any of the contact 
insecticides already mentioned, or by Paris 
green — one teaspoonful to twelve quarts of 
water. 

If angleworms infest the soil in the pots 
they may easily be got rid of by watering 
with lime water which may be made as 
follows: To ten or twelve quarts of water 
add one and one-half to two pounds of fresh 
lump lime, letting it stand for a couple of 
days, or until the lime has slacked and the 
water cleared, then pour off the clear water for 
use. Several waterings with this at intervals 
of three or four days will drive out the worms. 

FREAK REMEDIES 

There are numerous freak remedies some- 
times suggested for ailing plants, varying from 



82 



HOUSE PLANTS 



applying beefsteak and castor oil to the roots, 
to coating the leaves of such plants as rubber 
trees and palms with milk or olive oil. 

I never could understand why plants 
should need castor oil; in fact, it is a decided 
detriment, for it will clog the soil. When 
the plant begins to look sickly, look at once 
for the conditions which have caused it; it 
may be one of the causes mentioned in this 
chapter. There is a popular fallacy that if 
iron filings are put in the soil in which sickly 
plants are growing, their youth will be re- 
newed. There is sufficient iron in any soil 
for plants, and any addition to the soil will 
be only a waste of time and money. 

I can readily understand why wiping off 
the leaves with milk or other oily substance is 
resorted to; it makes the surfaces of the leaves 
shine. Every time this is done it is at the 
expense of the plant's health, for the fatty 
substance will surely clog the pores of the 
leaves, retarding or completely stopping 
the transpiration. The leaf of a healthy 
rubber plant or palm will shine if the dust 
is wiped off each day. This should 
always be part of the daily routine in the 
care of house plants. 



FORCING BULBS IN THE HOUSE 



The crocus is generally regarded as one of the most unsatisfactory bulbs 
to force, but it will respond if not hurried too much. The upper view shows 
the stage when the pots are brought into the light. Note the excellent foliage 



CHAPTER VII 



Bulbs from Thanksgiving to Easter 

The Dutch and Cape groups — How they differ — 
Tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils — Potting and rooting 
— Bringing into the light — Time required — Oxalis, 
fuchsias, sparaxis, and ranunculus. 

The easiest plants for the amateur to 
grow in the window garden are the bulbs. 
Roman hyacinths can be had by Thanks- 
giving; indeed, it is hard to fail with these 
charming flowers, and they come in red, 
blue, and white. 

There is a long list of available bulbs, but 
m.ost of them belong to one of two classes — 
Dutch bulbs and Cape bulbs — and all 
of each class used need similar treatment. 

THE "dutch" group 

The bulbs which are known as "Dutch" 
in the trade are tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, 
crocuses, snowdrops, etc. To these might be 
added the Bermuda and Madonna lilies, be- 
cause they require much the same treatment. 
83 



84 



HOUSE PLANTS 



When the bulbs are received from the 
bulb merchant, about October ist, put them 
in a good soil. I have used the soil described 
in Chapter II. Leafmould is not an essen- 
tial, but I prefer to use it. 

PANS OR POTS 

Put the bulbs in pans rather than in pots. 
Six-inch pans are the best for the small 
bulbs like crocuses, snowdrops, and bulbo- 
codiums; the polyanthus narcissus are gen- 
erally grown in six-inch pots; one, two, or 
three bulbs to a pot, according to the size 
of the bulbs. Tulips, hyacinths, and daffo- 
dils are best grovm in eight-inch pans. 
Pans look better than pots — there is not 
such an expanse of red clay — and besides, 
they do not take up as much room. Set 
the bulbs to a depth to have them just 
covered with soil. After potting give them 
a good watering and set them away to make 
roots. 

The secret of bulb culture lies almost 
entirely in the root development. If the 
bulbs are not well rooted before they are 
forced they will not make good flowers. 

But no amount of eare will increase the 



BULBS FROM THANKSGIVING TO EASTER 85 

number of flowers, for that is already deter- 
mined — the buds are already formed in 
the bulb — but the size of the flowers depends 
largely upon having good heavy bulbs and 
giving them proper treatment before forcing. 
To secure a good root system on the Dutch 
bulbs put them, after potting, in a cool, 
dark place and keep the soil moderately 
damp for at least six weeks, except that 
Roman hyacinths can be forced after three 
weeks, and will flower in two or three weeks. 
I prefer to bury the bulbs about a foot in 
soil outdoors. When the ground begins 
to freeze a mulch of leaves or manure, 
sufficiently thick to keep the soil from 
freezing, is put on them. Here they are 
leit until wanted for forcing. 

One amateur solved the winter storage 
of her bulbs as follows: 

"The construction of the pit was of the 
simplest. A bottomless box was sunk in 
the ground to a depth of three or four inches 
— enough to make it stand firm. This 
left an enclosing board frame about nine 
inches high above the ground level. Inside 
this frame the earth was dug out to a depth 
of eighteen inches, and a layer of coarse coal 



86 



HOUSE PLANTS 



ashes spread on the bottom, to insure good 
drainage. On this foundation the pots of 
bulbs were placed. The spaces between 
the pots were filled with sphagnum, and a 
layer of moss was laid over them. The 
box was then filled in with clean oat straw, 
tucked in with, a warm blanket of old carpet, 
and instead of a glass sash a tight wooden 
lid was fitted on and held in place by pine 
boughs. All these precautions are neces- 
sary here, for the thermometer sometimes 
registers 35 degrees below zero!" 

ROOTING IN THE CELLAR 

If neither of these methods is convenient, 
and you have a cool cellar, put the pots in a 
dark, out of the way corner and cover them 
with a foot or so of soil. Here they will 
always be handy for bringing into light and 
heat as required; but watch out that the 
mice and rats do not get at them. 

For Christmas flowers force Paper White 
and polyanthus narcissus, Roman hyacinths, 
and the Due van Thol tulips. They will 
require four weeks (except for the hyacinths, 
which are one week less) after being brought 
out into the light. The other Dutch bulbs 



BULBS FROM THANKSGIVING TO EASTER 8/ 



will not force well so early in the year, and 
should not be brought into heat until about 
Christmas time, or later, according to when 
the flowers are wanted. 

By bringing in the pots in batches in suc- 
cession, at intervals of say ten days apart, 
flowers can be had from about January 20th 
until outdoor spring flowers appear. The 
pots or pans merely need digging from the 
ground and being put in the window gar- 
den, and the bulbs will at once commence 
to grow if not exposed to frost. On very 
cold or windy nights move them back from 
the window. They cannot help flowering 
if given decent treatment. Failures with 
bulbs are due, largely, to careless treatment. 

THE BEST TULIPS 

Good tulips for early forcing are Pros- 
erpine, Yellow Prince, Chrysolora, Ver- 
milion Brilliant, La Reine, Rose Grisdelin, 
Cottage Maid. The other varieties do better 
if not started until late in January or early 
February. Do not try to force double 
tulips until late in February. 

To get the Easter lily in flower for Easter, 
forcing must be started early — not later 



88 



HOUSE PLANTS 



than December ist — varying the heat accord- 
ing to the progress made. The liKes are 
grown one to a six-inch pot or several to an 
eight-inch pot. 

The easiest bulbs to grov^ are the Roman 
hyacinths v^hich may even be had in flovvcr 
at Thanksgiving, Chinese sacred hly, and 
Paper V/hite narcissus. These' can be grown 
in water, or in cocoanut fibre or sand, 
requiring the same treatment as in soil. 

The easiest plant to grow in pure water 
is the Chinese sacred lily; but you must be 
careful not to let a cold draught strike the 
buds or they will ^'blast." Heat causes the 
same thing. A temperature of about 50 
degrees at night will give the best results. 
Get a shallow bowl and put in enough prettily 
coloured pebbles to hold the bulb in posi- 
tion. 

To grow hyacinths in glasses select only 
the named single varieties that are specially 
recommended for this purpose. Use soft 
rain water. Put in a few bits of charcoal. 
See that the base of the bulb is always in 
contact with the water and don't let the 
water rise much above the base of the bulb. 
Keep the glasses in a cool, dark, well venti- 



BULBS FROM THANKSGIVING TO EASTER 89 



lated place until the roots reach the bottom 
of the glass. Then bring them into light 
and warmth. Don't put them near a gas 
jet, especially one that leaks. Move them 
away from the windows on cold nights. 
Change the water every few days. The 
patent glasses make this operation easier. 
Add two or three drops of ammonia once a 
week to the water. 



GROUP 



The Cape bulbs consist of such bulbs 
as freesia, ixia, sparaxis, oxalis — bulbs from 
the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope. 

As the bulbs are small I believe the 
amateur should plant them in five-inch 
pots. He can then make a few bulbs last 
over a greater season by bringing a pot at 
a time into heat at intervals of ten days. 
By starting the freesias and oxalis in August 
they can be had in flower at Christmas; 
the balance of the bulbs v/ill do much better 
if not forced until after Christmas. 

The Cape bulbs cannot be stored away in 
a dark place; they must have a light, cool, 
but frost-proof place in which to start growth, 
because they make some leaf growth as the 



90 



HOUSE PLANTS 



roots develop. A cool room, ha^/ino; a 
temperature of 35 degrees to 40 degrees at 
night, and not higher than 50 degrees dur- 
ing the dav, will be excellent. From here 
they can be brought into the window of the 
living room as wanted. 

The ease with which the oxalis and freesias 
can be grown, and their beautv, are cer- 
tainlv attractions enough to induce an^\"one 
who has inclination to grow flov-ers to try 
them in the window. 

The ixia and sparaxis, however, are seldom 
met vrith even at the florists. Both are 
cool-loving plants. The ixia does best vv-hen 
grown in a night temperature of 35 degrees 
or 40 degrees, with a rise of 10 degrees 
or 15 degrees during the dav. It sends up 
long, grass-like leaves, and finallv a long 
flower stalk, sometimes eighteen inches high, 
w^hich ends in a spike three to eight inches 
long, of red, white, or blue flowers-, according 
to the variety-. The spikes contain six to 
twelve flowers, each of vrhich is anw.vhere 
from one to two inches in diameter. If 
successfullv flowered thev are worth all the 
time and trouble vou have gone to to produce 
them. 



BULBS FROM THANKSGIVING TO EASTER 9 1 

The sparaxis is much less known than the 
ixia; in fact, some bulb merchants never 
catalogue it, yet the European dealers recog- 
nize as many as twenty-five distinct named 
varieties. The plants grow six to twelve 
inches high, and each one produces from 
one to three or four flowers, each of which 
is one to two inches across, and funnel- 
shaped. It can be grown in the tempera- 
ture of the ordinary window garden with 
success, for in the greenhouse it succeeds 
admirably in a temperature of 55 degrees at 
night. 

If you have a cool corner in your con- 
servatory or a window in a cool room, grow 
some of the named varieties of the poppy- 
flowered anemone (A. coronaria) and the tur- 
baned or Persian ranunculus {R. Asiaticus). 
They are excellent either as pot plants or as 
cut flowers. Give them the same treat- 
ment as the Cape bulbs, and you are sure 
to succeed. 

The poppy-flov/ered anemone has a pretty, 
finely divided leaf and a flow^er anywhere 
from one and a half to two and a half inches 
across, red, white, or blue in colour, and 
with a big bunch of blue stamens. It 



92 



HOUSE PLANTS 



grows six inches to a foot high. If \'ou buv 
any of the tubers of these I '11 vrager vou will 
look at them twice, and then begin to berate 
the bulb merchant tor selling vou some old, 
dried-up tubers, because the\" are verv small, 
peculiar-shaped things, which apparently 
have no top or bottom. I must confess 
I never know whether I have some of them 
right side up or not. And because of the 
ease with which a bulb merchant can deceive 
a customer who is not acquainted with 
these tubers. I am sorr\- to sav that some 
unscrupulous dealers have sold two or three 
}'ear old bulbs as fresh ones. Of course 
thev did not grow. The temptation to do 
this is great because the sale for them in 
this countrv is small: so buv from some 
seedsman in whom vou have conhdence. 

The ranunculus has a fleshv root which 
looks like a lot of dimunitive sv-eet potatoes, 
one-half an inch long, joined together at 
one end. the other end hanging free. The 
plants grow six inches to a toot high, and 
the flowers in the double varieties, which 
are the onh' ones worth grovring. are ball- 
like, red or \'ellov.-. one to one and one- 
half inches across. 



BULBS FROM THANKSGIVING TO EASTER 93 



Here is a dollar collection of bulbs that 
gave one amateur flowers every day without 
a break from Christmas to Easter: 

Chinese lilies, bloomed from December 
23d to January 12th; Double Roman nar- 
cissus, bloomed from January 13th to Jan- 
uary 25th; Grand Soleil d'Or narcissus, 
bloomed from January 22d to February 
13th; Crocus, bloomed from February 7th to 
March I2th; Van Sion narcissus, bloomed 
from March 7th to March 25th; Princess 
Marianne tulip, bloomed from March 23d 
to April 9th. 

Hov7 many bulbs to put in a six-inch pan 
is told in this list: 

Crocus, six; Freesia, nine; Hyacinth, named, 
three; Hyacinth, miniature, five; Hyacinth, 
Roman, six; Ixia, six to nine; Narcissus, 
three to five; Oxalis, nine; Tulip, six. 

Eight-inch pans are more effective for 
the large bulbs, and six-inch pans for the 
small ones. Try ten tulips, ten narcissi 
or eight hyacinths in an eight-inch pan. 
Many people like to grow hyacinths singly 
in five-inch hyacinth pots, which are an 
inch and a half deeper than ordinary flower 
pots. 



CHAPTERVIII 



The Winter Window Garden 

Gay flowers and easily grown — What to do with the 
old plants — Setting out in the garden — The best 
kinds, and their handling — Azaleas, lilies, etc. 

If you want a winter garden of high-class 
flowering plants other than bulbs, at the 
least expense, make your selection of plants 
from those mentioned below in this chapter. 
Most of them will bloom in the dreary 
month of March, but the azaleas and some 
others may be had in time for Christmas, if 
started early. I believe they are the best for 
beginners, and the plants that are best for 
beginners are generally the ones that the 
old-timers come back to after expensive tests 
of novelties. They are the showy, long- 
lasting, easily grown coolhouse plants, that 
you will grow year after year with increasing 
satisfaction. 

GHENT, MOLLIS, AND INDIAN AZALEAS 

The showiest shrubs are the azaleas. 
Both the Ghent and mollis azaleas bloom 

94 




THE INDIAN AZALEA 



This is the best Easter-flowering plant, and by being put outdoors 
in a cool shaded place in summer can be carried on from year to year, 
merely being brought indoors in the winter 



FOLIAGE PLANTS FOR CHRISTMAS DECORATION 



Draeenas and ferns. Of the former the red-leaved D. terminalis is the 
most showy, and the spider ferns shown on the edge are the most resistant 
to house conditions, trying at the ver.y best 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN 95 



before the leaves expand. The mollis has 
flowers two and a half inches across, which 
are yellow, orange or pink, while the Ghent 
has flowers in all shades, from white to 
red and lilac. The Indian azalea is an 
evergreen, with sm.all, shiny, dark green 
leaves. The flowers are either single or 
double, and vary from white to deep red, 
but lack the fire-like gorgeousness of the 
mollis varieties. 

It is cheaper and better for the amateur to 
buy these plants from the dealers, who im- 
port them from Holland, in the fall, than to 
attempt to propagate them by cuttings or 
by grafting. 

When you receive the imported plants 
they are without pots, but have compact, hard 
balls of peaty soil around the pots. If the 
balls are dry, soak them in \Ycitev until thor- 
oughly wet; then put them into the smallest 
pots you can. Use a fine soil, made of 
fibrous loam, peat and sand. Pot firmly, 
and water. They can be stored in a cool, 
light, airy place with a temperature of 35 
degrees to 40 degrees, such as a deep cold- 
frame, or in the cellar near a window. 
Water sparingly, but do not allow the 



96 



HOUSE PLANTS 



plants to suffer for want of water. Look 
out for mildew. 

The Ghent and mollis azaleas can be had 
in bloom in about six weeks from the time 
they are brought into heat. Some of the 
Indian azaleas, particularly Deutsche Perle, 
a double white, and Vervaeneana, a double 
pink, edged with white and more or less 
blotched with red, are hard to keep from flow- 
ering, particularly if you do not want them 
until late in the season, unless kept very cool. 

KEEPING OVER THE SUMMER 

To keep the Indian azaleas over until 
another season requires but little vvork. 
Put them in a light place, like a window, 
until danger of all frost is past, when they 
may be put out of doors. After flowering, 
pick off the dead flowers and water freely, 
in order that they may make a good growth. 
If any shoots are growing faster than the 
others, pinch them back, to form a sym- 
metrical plant. Azaleas, like all members of 
the heath family, are easily injured by too 
much or too little water; therefore, see 
that the soil is always just moist, never let it 
get dry nor water-logged. 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN 97 



Put the plants out of doors when danger 
of frost is past. Plunge them to the rim of 
the pot in well-drained soil or coal ashes. 
This will keep the pots cool, preventing 
evaporation of water from them. Some 
people put their azaleas in the full sunlight 
during the summer; but, generally, it is 
better to have them where they can get 
the early morning and late afternoon sun, 
but are shaded during the midday. Syringe 
the foliage late each afternoon with the 
hose or force pump, and see that the under 
sides of the leaves are hit by the water, 
in order to dislodge the red spiders and 
thrips, which will do a great deal of harm 
if not checked. In the fall store the plants 
in a cool, light place, where the temper- 
ature is from 35 degrees to 45 degrees. 
Keep them here until you are ready to 
force them, then bring them into a living 
room and have the fun of watching the 
flowers develop. 

The best Way to keep the Ghent and mollis 
azaleas over will be to grow them along 
as described for the Indian azaleas, and to 
plant them in the ground outdoors when all 
danger of frost is past. 



98 



HOUSE PLANTS 



GERANIUMS THE EASIEST OF ALL 

So common that we seldom give its trans- 
cendent merits a second thought, yet the 
easiest all-the-year plant to grow in the house, 
is the ordinary geranium. It is the cheapest 
plant for the window gardener. Cuttings 
started in the spring will flower from about 
Christmas time on. It is one of the few plants 
on which the home gardener can rely to keep 
his house looking gay during the holidays. 

The geranium wants a rich soil; but the 
secret of success with it is not to over water — 
on the other hand, never allow it to become 
dry. To use a gardener's expression, keep 
it on the "dry side.'' A very pretty way 
of handling geraniums is as standards. For 
Christmas decoration the standards covered 
with large trusses of flowers are beautiful. 
It takes about two years to grow a good 
standard, two or two and a half feet high. 

THE BEST DECEMBER CUT FLOWER 

The bouvardia blooms during late fall 
and early winter, a time w^hen flowers are 
very scarce. It produces beautiful clusters 
of flowers three inches across, which are either 
white or red or some intermediate shade. It 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN 99 



makes a very decorative plant, and its flowers, 
when cut, last well in water — indeed, it is a 
most desirable plant for either the window 
garden or small greenhouse. 

To have good plants for winter flowering, 
start in March. The usual way of increasing 
this plant is by root cuttings. (See Chapter 
V.) Another good way is to divide a 
healthy plant into pieces small enough to 
go in three-inch pots. The plants are grov/n 
on as rapidly as possible in the house in 
a night temperature of 60 degrees. During 
the last week in May, plant the bouvardia 
out in the open in rich soil, where it 
can have water and thorough cultivation. 
Here they will make a rapid growth. Pinch 
back the leaves from time to time during 
summer, in order to induce a compact 
growth. 

Late in August, the plants must be trans- 
ferred to their winter quarters — a house 
having a night temperature of about 50 
degrees. I have always grown bouvardias 
in pots; but they may be put in a box, setting 
the plants ten to twelve inches apart. If 
you have a small greenhouse the benches 
of which are to be empty during the summer, 



100 



HOUSE PLANTS 



the plants may be planted on them in the 
spring, which will save some work in the fall. 
A good fibrous loam to which there has 
been an addition of peat or leafmould and 
well decayed horse manure and sand, will 
make an excellent soil for growing these 
plants. 

The bouvardia is rather hard to trans- 
plant, so must be carefully handled and, 
after transplanting, shaded and frequently 
syringed. 

Late in April, or early in May, prune the 
plants back and, as soon as the weather per- 
mits, plant in the open again. Plants w^hich 
have reached the age of four or five years 
will make beautiful specimens. 

The mealy bug and the aphides will be 
troublesome. The best way of combating 
these pests is spraying about once a week, 
with some insecticide, such as the prepared 
forms of tobacco. 

THE FRAGRANT STEVIA 

The most fragrant flower which you can 
be sure of having for Christmas is the stevia 
{Piqueria trinervia). Take cuttings in Jan- 
uary or just as soon as it is through flowering, 



THE WINTER. WINDOW GARDEN lOI 



and grow them on, shifting them from time 
to time until they are put in six-inch pots. 
When all danger of frost is past plunge 
them outdoors in ashes. Turn the pots 
each day to keep the plants from rooting 
through into the ground. Pinch out the 
ends of the growths frequently so as to induce 
a bushy growth; for stevia naturally make a 
loose, scraggly growth. Upon the approach 
of cold weather store the plants in a light, 
cool place, and bring them a few at a time, 
into heat in the dwelling room. By thus 
working for a succession you have the stevia 
in bloom during late November, December, 
and January. 

RED BERRIES FOR TWO YEARS 

One of the best red berried plants for 
Christmas is Ardisia crenulata. It is easily 
grown from seed, but is slow. Seeds sown 
in March or April will bloom the following 
spring, and have a good crop of berries the 
next winter. The plant grows in this time 
nine inches to a foot high. The leaves 
are a very dark glossy green, and so beau- 
tiful that it is well worth growing for its 
foliage alone. 



102 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Skimmia Japonica is a broad-leaved ever- 
green which is not hardy north of Washing- 
ton, D. C, but, although rather a slow 
grower, it is one of the handsomest of the 
red-berried plants which may be had for 
Christmas decoration. If seeds are sown 
in the fall and the young plants carried over 
winter in a cool place, and planted out in 
the garden in good soil, beautiful little 
plants will be had for potting in October, 
which will bear a good crop of berries that 
will remain on the plants all winter. These 
berries are bright scarlet or coral red, slightly 
angled, and about one-quarter of an inch 
across. At the present time seeds are 
scarce, so the best way will be to buy a plant 
from the florist and carry it over from year 
to year. 

With the best of care and cultivation 
these plants w^ill probably never exceed a 
height of two or three feet when grown in 
pots. One drawback to their cultivation is 
that only one kind of a flower is borne on 
a plant so that if one wishes berries he must 
see to it that he has both staminate and 
pistillate flowers. 

In addition to the winter decorative 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN IO3 



qualities of this plant, it is beautiful in the 
spring, when in flower. It has many small, 
yellowish white flowers one-quarter of an 
inch across, which are borne in the axils of 
the leaves in clusters two inches in diameter. 

Another broad-leaved evergreen not hardy 
North, but which can be successfully grown 
in a cool room is Aucuha Japonica. It 
is hardy in the South. It is a shrub four 
to fifteen feet high, with beautiful dark green 
leaves. Like the skimmia, the flowers are 
not perfect, so if fruit is wanted care must be 
taken to grow both sexes, and when in flower 
shake the staminate ones over the pistillate 
ones that they may be fertilized. To carry 
this plant over winter keep it in a deep cold- 
frame or cool room which does not freeze and 
keep the soil somewhat dry. 

The cheapest red-berried plant which one 
may have at Christmas is the Jerusalem 
cherry (Solanum Pseudo-Capsicum), v/hich 
has been described on page 41. 

GAY LITTLE PEPPERS 

Of late the florists have been growing some 
of the small red peppers in pots for Christmas, 
The varieties usually grown (Celestial and 



104 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Kaleidoscope) bear a profusion of small 
fruits an inch to an inch and a half long. 
They change from green to cream colour, 
then yellow, and finally bright red, making 
a happy combination with the lively green 
leaves. After they have lost their beauty 
throw them away, for it is no use to carry 
them over to another year as they are easily 
grown from seed, but if you take good care 
of them, the fruits will last until February. 

An interesting pepper is the Tabasco, 
from which the famous sauce of that name 
is made. It grows about three feet high. 
There is also a form of this called Coral 
Gem, that grows only about one foot high, 
and makes a handsome pot plant. The 
fruits of both are exceedingly hot. 

ASPARAGUS IN BASKETS 

Asparagus Sprengeri is one of the very 
best plants for hanging pots or baskets. 

It has woody stems two feet or more 
long, which bear many sm.all, flat "leaves** 
which are usually yellowish green. As it 
weakens the plant to produce seeds it is 
seldom allowed to fruit, but a well-fruited 
specimen is certainly a beautiful sight. 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN IO5 



I know one florist who had a pair of plants, 
each of which was about one and one-half to 
two feet in diameter, which he sold for 
twenty-five dollars apiece. 

EASTER LILIES 

Easter is the great fl.oral festival of the year 
and no other holiday is so intimately con- 
nected with flowers. 

The favourite colour at Easter is white, 
just as red is the dominant colour for Christ- 
mas flowers. Red stands for warmth and 
happiness in the dead of winter; white stands 
for purity and for the Resurrection. 

The most appropriate flower for Easter is 
unquestionably the lily, because it has been 
associated for the longest time with Easter. 
The Easter lily of to-day is not the lily of 
history and of religious painting. It was 
not until the early eighties that the Madonna 
or Annunciation lily was displaced as an 
Easter flower by the Bermuda lily. The 
Madonna lily does not bloom outdoors in the 
northern United States at Easter time, as 
it does in southern Europe, and it is not so 
easily forced into bloom as is the Bermuda 
lily. Moreover, the Bermuda lily is generally 



io6 



HOUSE PLANTS 



considered to be a more beautiful flower. 
It is a longer and larger flower, and shaped 
like a trumpet, whereas the Madonna lily 
is bell-shaped. 

The bulbs of these are received in August; 
pot them at once, and bury the pots out- 
doors until late in November, w^hen they 
must be lifted and started into growth. 
A temperature of about 55 degrees at night 
suits them very well; but, if it is necessary 
to have them in flower on Easter day, and 
it comes early, you w411 probably find it neces- 
sary to put the pots in a slightly w^armer 
situation to hurry development. After the 
plants have begun to make a good growth 
(say eighteen inches high) liquid fertilizer 
given once or twice a week, will be of great 
benefit. (See page 74.) 

You will find it very hard to keep the lilies 
clean, for the aphis is very fond of them. 
Spray them frequently w4th an insecticide 
like tobacco water, or fumigate them with 
one of the various forms of tobacco. 

THE PARIS DAISY 

The marguerite or Paris daisy makes an 
excellent pot plant for the vv^indow garden. 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN lOJ 



Plants in flower, bought from the florist 
early in the winter, will remain in bloom 
all winter if you remove the flowers as they 
fade. When all danger of frost is past plant 
it outdoors, and it will give scattering blos- 
soms all summer. Do not attempt to bring 
it into the house next fall, but as soon as the 
frost has killed it pull it up and throw it away. 
If it is convenient to grow a few plants of the 
marguerite for next winter's flowers make 
cuttings of the ends of the branches in the 
early part of May and as soon as rooted plant 
outdoors and pot early in September. As it 
is rather difficult to lift, considerable care 
must be exercised; but it can be safely done. 

THE PELARGONIUM OR SHOW GERANIUM 

A close relative of the common or zonal 
geranium is the pelargonium {Pelargo- 
nium domesticum) of which the Martha 
Washington geranium is the most familiar 
example. This does not have as many 
flowers in a truss as the geranium, but they 
are larger and much handsomer. The 
flowers usually have a white ground, and 
are variously marked or blotched with red 
or purple. 



io8 



HOUSE PLANTS 



These plants are usually flowered in May 
and June; but by starting them into growth 
earlier they may be had in flower at Easter 
time. As soon as the plants have done 
flowering remove the old flower stalks and 
set the plants outside in the full sun. Here 
let them ripen their wood, and gradually 
withhold water, giving the plants a good rest. 
In September prune them into shape, cut- 
ting back as one may fancy, but removing 
all soft and weak shoots. Then shake the 
old soil from among the roots, and repot 
them in a smaller-sized pot than they have 
been in, one in which you can just get the 
roots comfortably. Give them a thorough 
watering, and place them in a deep cold- 
frame. Here they may be left until late in 
the fall, so long as they are protected from 
frosts. In October transfer the plants to 
the house. In January they will need a 
shift into the larger pots in which they are 
to bloom. 

During the midwinter months give only 
a small amount of water. As they grow, 
pinch out the shoots, in order to get a well 
shaped plant; also take out any weak shoots 
which may start. Discontinue stopping the 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN lOQ 



branches in February, as the flower buds 
commence to form. 

The appearance of the plant will be greatly 
improved if trained to a stake. This must 
be done before the wood hardens, which it 
does quite rapidly. 

As soon as the plants are well established 
in their flowering pots apply manure water 
and keep this up until the flowering time. 

The red spider and the aphides will surely 
bother. Syringing the plants with one of 
the tobacco extracts which has been diluted 
with water v/ill be the best preventive, as 
the foliage is tender, and is easily injured by 
fumigation with tobacco stems. The bloom- 
ing season is prolonged by giving the plants 
a slight shade. 

THE YELLOW FLOWERED GENISTA 

The genista (Cytisus Canariensis), a hand- 
some evergreen shrub, bearing many spikes 
of small, yellow, pea-shaped flowers, is very 
easily handled, and I would not be without 
some good specimens. After they have 
flowered, in March or April, cut back the 
plants, give them a small shift, and put them 
in a close atmosphere and syringe daily until 



1 10 



HOUSE PLANTS 



well established, then give plenty of air and 
a slight shade. As soon as the danger of 
frost is past put them out of doors for the 
summer, and syringe daily. Leave them 
out until frost threatens, then store them in 
a cool greenhouse — one having a tempera- 
ture not exceeding 40 degrees at night, or 
in a pit or deep coldframe v^here frost will 
not reach them. See that they have plenty 
of light and air, as they mildew easily. When 
ready for forcing give them a temperature of 
50 degrees at night, and they will flower in 
a few weeks. 

The genista is easily grown from cuttings, 
which should be taken from the plants after 
they are through flowering. As soon as they 
are rooted pot them up in two-inch pots and 
shift them to a larger size if necessary later 
on. As soon as all danger of frost is past 
plant them out in the open ground. Here 
they will make rapid growth, and will prob- 
ably need a six-inch pot in the fall. Store 
until ready to force in a light, cool place. 

THE TENDER HYDRANGEA 

The hydrangea {Hydrangea hortensis) may 
be forced year after year without any effort 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN III 



or injury to the plant. There are a number 
of different varieties of this, the flowers 
varying in colour from white to pink and 
light blue. Much can be done to induce 
the blue colour in the flowers by watering 
the plants all summer with a weak solution 
of alum. To make: dissolve one pound of 
alum in two quarts of ammonia and add the 
whole to tv/enty gallons of water, mixing it 
well. Always use this for watering the plants, 
and do not expose the plants to direct sunlight. 
This must be used when the plants are mak- 
ing their growth in the summer previous to 
being forced. When the hydrangea is 
through flowering cut it back, say in May, 
removing about half the growth. If you 
cut back more than this there is likely to be 
a strong growth from the roots which will not 
flower the following year. The plants may 
be either set in the open ground or repotted 
and plunged outdoors. Grow them out- 
doors until danger of frost; then bring them 
in and store them in a very cool and light 
place. All summer the plants will need an 
abundance of water, twice a day at least on 
sunny days, for they are thirsty plants, and 
give them liquid fertilizer occasionally. 



112 



HOUSE PLANTS 



During the winter, while stored, give them 
only enough water to keep the wood from 
shriveling. The leaves will drop off, but that 
is only natural, so do not be alarmed. 

To get the plants in flower for Easter 
start them early in January, as they need 
about twelve or fourteen weeks to force 
properly. 

This hydrangea is not perfectly hardy 
outdoors unless given a warm covering^ 
the canes die back in the ground unless pro- 
tected. The best way is to lay down the 
canes on the ground and cover them with 
several inches of soil. Do it before the 
hard frosts come. 

THE JAPANESE SPIREA 

The best feathery white bloom in winter 
is that of Astilhe Japonic a. It is also one 
of the easiest to force. There are quite a 
number of improvements over the type. The 
best of all is Gladstone. There has been 
introduced recently a pink flowered variety, 
Queen Alexandra, a very desirable form. 

The astilbe is a hardy plant, and it may 
be forced repeatedly. The roots are bought 
from the bulb merchants. They do not 



THE HORTENSIA 

The most showy, early flowering plant for indoor forcing. It may be flowered 
for Easter and is easily wintered by burying or in the cellar 



THE WINTER WINDOW GARDEN II 3 



arrive from abroad, however, until about 
November. As soon as received pot them 
up in a good potting soil, water them, and 
store them in a cool, dark place. 

It takes ten to fourteen weeks to flower 
the astilbe, so if you want the plants for 
any special occasion you must figure ahead 
a bit. The astilbe is not at all particular 
as to temperature, anywhere between 50 
degrees and 60 degrees will do. Anything 
above that will cause a flabby growth and 
the plant will have no lasting qualities. When 
through flowering keep the plants in a light 
place until all danger of frost is past, when 
they can be planted outdoors in the border 
and left until a year from the following fall, 
when they may be potted up and again forced. 

FORCING GLADIOLUS 

A lot of pleasure may be had from forc- 
ing the gladiolus. The best one for this is 
G. Colvillei, an early blooming hybrid, which 
has many varieties. For Easter bloom the 
bulbs need not be started until December. 

The secret of success in forcing gladioli 
is to grow them cool. A night temperature 
of 45 degrees to 50 degrees is plenty warm 



114 



HOUSE PLANTS 



enough. Plant them in boxes six inches 
deep, setting the bulbs three inches apart 
each way. Make one inch holes in the bot- 
tom of the boxes every six inches, and give 
good drainage. Some good varieties are the 
Bride, Ne Plus Ultra, Shakespeare, Cardinal, 
and May. With these you are almost sure 
to succeed. The late flowering varieties are 
more or less likely to go "blind,'' /. e., the 
buds fail to expand. 



CHAPTER IX 



Flowering Plants for House Conditions 

Those that are sure to succeed — The most floriferous 
and also easily grown — Kinds for sunless windows — 
Shrubs and bulbs that will flower at any season — 
Begonias — Callas — African lily, etc. 

A WINDOW garden without some flower- 
ing plants would be monotonous, but in the 
majority of cases palms and other plants 
grown for their foliage will be the more easily 
managed. The constant change added to 
the living room by the growing of some 
flowering plants will, however, more than 
repay for any trouble one may be put to in 
order to have good specimens. 

In addition to the plants mentioned in 
other chapters the following plants may be 
grown in the house with reasonable ease. 

FOR SUNLESS WINDOWS 

Next to the geranium I believe the fibrous 
begonias will give most satisfaction. They 
are easily grown, and will remain in bloom 
115 



ii6 



HOUSE PLANTS 



for long periods, the plant producing new 
clusters of flowers as the old ones begin to 
fade. The flowers, according to the kind, 
range from red through pink to white and 
are quite showy, particularly the red ones. 

The showiest begonia for the house is the 
coral begonia (B. coccinea), but almost uni- 
versally known in the trade as B. rubra or 
B. maculata, var. corallina. If planted out in 
the greenhouse it will grow eight to ten feet in 
height, but in pot culture one can expect a 
plant having a reasonable amount of care 
to grow from eighteen inches to three feet in 
height. The stems are bright green, and are 
very stiff and upright, giving the plant a rather 
columnar habit. The leaves are from three to 
six inches long, and about half as wide, with 
wavy red margins. The flowers are about 
half an inch across, deep coral red in colour, 
and are borne in rather large clusters. In a 
sunny situation the plant will produce flowers 
during three or four of the winter months. 

Another begonia, nearly as good as the 
coral begonia, is B. semperflorens, var. 
gigantea rosea. A young plant started in the 
late winter or early spring months will grow 
so fast that during the succeeding winter it 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



117 



will need a seven or eight inch pot. The 
plant will be eighteen inches to two feet in 
height, and will produce many clusters of 
large, rosy red flowers. 

Probably the best variegated foliaged 
begonia is B. metollica. It is a very attrac- 
tive plant, either in or out of flower. The 
leaves are from three to six inches long, 
about half as wide, and the general outline 
is a sort of oblique heart-shape. The edges 
are more or less notched. The upper surface 
of the leaves is green shaded with bronze, 
giving a lustrous bronze-green effect. The 
large veins are depressed and very dark red, 
adding, naturally, to the effect. The flowers 
are borne in medium-sized clusters, are quite 
numerous, and bluish white in colour. 

As a result of crossing Begonia metallica 
with B. sanguinea, a beautiful hybrid (B. 
Thurstoni) has been produced. The leaves 
are much the same shape as in metallica, but 
are a little larger; the colouring is also simi- 
lar to metallica. The flowers, which are 
small and rosy white, are insignificant. 

There are two spotted-leaved begonias, 
B. alho'picta and B. argentea-guttata, either 
one of which is worth having. The leaves 



ii8 



HOUSE PLANTS 



are glossy green with small, silvery- white spots. 
They will make plants one and one-half to 
two feet high. 

Some of the fibrous-rooted begonias do 
not have stems, the leaves coming directly 
from woody rhizomes which grov/ at, or just 
above, the surface of the soil. There is one 
of this class of which I am quite fond, 
B. heracleifoUa. The beauty of the plant 
lies in its deeply divided leaves. They look 
like huge five or six inch pointed stars. 
The leaf stalks are anywhere from six to 
eighteen inches long, depending, of course, 
on the size of the plant; the leaves vary from 
six to twelve inches across. The upper sur- 
face is rich green, the under side reddish, 
and on one of its varieties the leaf stalk is 
covered with long, reddish, fleshy hairs. 

In the late winter months the begonias 
produce long flower stalks which are crowned 
with a large cluster (often measuring six to 
nine inches across) of pink .flowers. These 
will last in good condition for a long time. 

Another of these begonias which is sure 
to be a success is the so-called beefsteak 
begonia {B. sanguined). The leaves are 
roundish, leathery in texture, dark green 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



119 



above and red below, and often measuring 
six to eight inches in diameter. This seems 
to thrive in darker places than where most 
begonias will grow. It is an admirable 
plant for a north window. In the early 
spring months it sends up some spikes bear- 
ing pinkish white flowers. In addition to 
the kinds mentioned above there is a host of 
others sure to do well in the house with- 
out going to a lot of extra work and fussing 
in order that they may thrive. 

Begonias are easy to grow. All those 
having stems may be increased by cuttings. 
Those having rhizomes are cut into pieces 
about an inch or two long; these are put in 
the cutting bench, much as you would plant 
30 many large seeds. A good soil is made 
by mixing together two parts well rotted 
sod, one part peat or leafmould, one part 
well-decayed horse manure, and one part of 
sand. Give ample drainage. 

The best time to repot begonias is in the 
spring, but it may be done any time during 
the summer. Never attempt to do it dur- 
ing the winter. In summer put the plants 
outdoors where they will be protected from 
heavy winds and the midday sun. In the 



120 



HOUSE PLANTS 



winter grow them in a sunny window. If 
the glass has an unequal surface you will 
need to be very careful that the foliage is not 
damp when the sun shines through the glass 
as the rays may be focussed, causing burning. 

THE BEGONIA FOR WINTER FLOWER 

The most popular winter-flowfering begonia 
on the market at the present time is Gloire 
de Lorraine. It is, however, not the easiest 
to grow, even professional gardeners some- 
times having difficulty with it; but I have 
seen good specimens grown in the house. 
If you attempt it at all, be prepared to give 
special care. If it succeeds you will be 
amply repaid, for the plant is a mass of soft, 
rosy pink flowers from October until April. 
The best way will be to buy a plant from 
the florist when it is in flower, and grow it on. 
When the plants are through flowering in 
the early spring months, give them a rest, z . e., 
do not give them so much water; but, of 
course, they must never get dry. Keep them 
in a cool, but light place. By May they will 
be ready to start into growth once more. 
Comparatively speaking, little growth will 
be made during the summer, but the plants 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



121 



must be kept in a shaded position. After 
the hot summer weather is past, they 
will make a rapid growth, and should be 
gradually inured to full sunlight. If you 
are growing them in a small greenhouse 
or window conservatory, get them as near 
the glass as possible. 

The best plants of this begonia are those 
which are started from cuttings in the early 
winter (December). At that time there are 
plenty of good healthy leaves from which to 
propagate and a few will not be missed. Cut 
off the leaf stalk to within one-quarter of an 
inch or so of the leaf blade, and place it in 
sand. A little bottom heat is better, but the 
leaf will root even without it. Keep the 
temperature of the cutting bench about 
70 degrees, and the atmosphere humid by 
putting a sash or light glass over it. When 
the plants have rooted, pot them off into 
small pots. One of the secrets of success 
with this begonia is never to over-pot; 
when shifting advance one size at a time. 

A lighter form of Gloire de Lorraine is 
called Turnford Hall. The flowers are light 
pink and white — about the shade of apple 
blossoms. It is well worth growing for 



122 



HOUSE PLANTS 



variety. There are other varieties of this 
veiy desirable begonia that have been intro- 
duced recently. They are all sports and 
vary only in the color of the flower. 

FUCHSIAS FOR THE PORCH 

The lady's ear drops (Fuchsia) has been 
one of the most popular house plants for 
years. It is an easily grown plant, is a 
fast grower, will remain in bloom for several 
months during the winter, and does not need 
to be grown in the sun. A north window 
has sufficient light for its development. 
Very shapely plants can be grown without 
much difficulty. All that is necessary is 
a little pinching and the plant must be 
frequently turned so that all sides will have 
an equal amount of light. 

The charm of the fuchsia is in its flowei^s. 
The most common one, F. speciosa, has a long, 
white, or creamy white, calyx tube, one to one 
and a quarter inches long, with four narrow, 
pointed lobes. The petals are red. There 
are many forms of this, both single and 
double, the chief point of difference being 
the colour, which varies to flowers having 
red calyx tubes and red to purple petals. 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



123 



The flowers vary in length; in some it is 
very short, while in one variety, Earl of 
Beaconsfield, it is three inches long. 

To get good plants for winter bloom 
start the old plants (which have been resting) 
into growth in December. By January or 
February, there will be plenty of new 
shoots from which to make new cuttings. 
Do not use old, hard wood or even new 
growth which has become hardened. Make 
the cutting two joints long. As soon as the 
cuttings have rooted, put them in two- 
inch pots, using a rich soil. Keep the 
plants growing along rapidly, shifting them 
to larger pots as needed, and frequently 
pinch out the ends of the new growth in 
order to produce stocky plants. These will 
make good plants in five or six inch pots the 
following fall. The fuchsia is easily grown 
from seed. A night temperature of about 
55 degrees is needed for its best develop- 
ment, but if the temperature goes a few 
degrees lower at night, no harm will be done. 

For porch decoration, or for planting in 
shaded places about the porch in the sum- 
mer, start the plants indoors from cuttings 
in the fall. After flowering, the plants need 



124 



HOUSE PLANTS 



a rest for several months. If this resting 
period is during the early spring put the plants 
in a cool, dry place, and withhold water; if it 
is during the summer, place them outdoors 
in a shaded place and give no water, for they 
will get sufficient from the summer rains to 
keep the wood from shrivelling too much. 

Many people do not care to carry their 
fuchsias over from year to year, but I always 
do, drying them off during the summer and 
starting them into growth again in September. 
When starting into growth old plants which 
have been resting knock the plants out of 
the pots, shake out from among the roots as 
much of the old soil as possible, and replace 
in the same pots with new, rich soil. Keep 
the plants in a rather humid atmosphere, 
but do not give much water until the roots 
have taken hold of the new soil and growth 
begins to break. At the time of repotting 
cut back, leaving only an inch or two of the 
last season's growth. This is done to keep 
the plants small and compact. 

AN EASY FAVOURITE 

Another plant which will give much pleas- 
ure, and which is as easily grown as either 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



125 



the geranium or the fuchsia, is the so-called 
flowering maple (Abutilon). The common 
species or type is A. striatum. The leaves 
are thin, dark green, about three inches 
across, five-parted, and very closely resemble 
the leaf of a maple. The plant will remain 
in bloom all winter. The flowers are rather 
odd and very attractive. They are bell- 
shaped, about an inch and a half across, 
borne on long, drooping pedicles, and are 
red or orange, marked with many brownish- 
red veins. The stamens are borne in a 
large bunch on the end of a column which 
is as long as the petals. A larger, stronger- 
growing kind is A. Thompsont, in which the 
leaves are only three-parted, and mottled with 
lighter green and yellow. The flowers are 
yellow or orange, with red veins. 

In addition to these there are many named 
kinds in the trade, the most common of which 
are Savitzii and Souvenir de Bonn. They 
are used chiefly as bedding plants in the 
summer, but may be grown for foliage dur- 
ing the winter. Species can be grown readily 
from seed, but it is hardly worth the trouble, 
because they are so easily increased by green- 
wood cuttings taken at any time of the year. 



126 



HOUSE PLANTS 



The best results, however, will be had from 
spring struck cuttings. The abutilon is so 
easily grown that the old plants may 
be thrown away as soon as they get 
ungainly, and new plants started. They 
can be kept small enough for the window, 
however, if occasionally cut back. 

The best yellow-flowered plant for early 
winter bloom is the yellow flax (Reinwardtia 
trigyna, but almost always spoken of among 
gardeners as Linum trigynuni). The plants 
grow nine inches to a foot high, and are 
quite symmetrical. The bright yellow flowers 
are from one to one and a quarter inches 
across, and stand out in sharp contrast 
against the beautiful dark green foliage. 

The yellow flax is not a difl^icult plant to 
grow if one can give it a night temperature 
of 55 or 60 degrees, and lots of sunlight; 
it will not succeed in windows having but 
few or no direct rays from the sun. If 
you wish to grow your own plants, it is 
easily done. They can be raised from seed, 
or from cuttings. Make cuttings from the 
growths which start from the base of the 
plants; cuttings taken from top growths 
have a tendency to flower prematurely. 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



127 



Do this in the late winter or early spring, 
when the plants are through flowering, and 
plant them out during the summer. Such 
plants will be large enough for a five or six 
inch pot in late August or early September. 
When lifting the yellow flax, be very careful 
as it resents much disturbance of the roots. 

SOME UNUSUAL BULBS 

No window garden would be complete 
without some bulbous plants like amaryllis, 
calla, etc. The common calla (Richardia 
Africana) has been a favourite house plant 
for yearSj but, unfortunately, it has not 
always bloomed satisfactorily. The calla 
is a gross feeder, so needs rich soil. Let 
it contain, if possible, about one-third of 
well-rotted horse manure and the balance 
of rotted sod with enough sand to make good 
drainage. I believe it is the summer treat- 
ment of the bulbs which, to a large degree, 
determines whether the plants will flower 
or not. If water is withheld from them, 
the pots laid over on their sides in a dry, 
shaded place, so that the bulbs may rest, 
amateurs will have no trouble about non- 
flowering during the winter. Start the bulbs 



128 



HOUSE PLANTS 



into growth in September. At first give 
them one good watering (which will be 
sufficient until the roots have started growth), 
and place the pots in a warm window. 
Until the plants are in good growth, water 
sparingly; after that, copious amounts of 
water will be needed until late in the follow- 
ing spring or early summer, when the bulbs 
are to be dried off again. The Little Gem 
calla is a dwarf form — twelve to sixteen 
inches high — which is well worth cultiva- 
tion in the window. 

There are several kinds of calla in the 
trade besides the common one. The best 
of these is the golden calla (Richardia 
ElliotUand), a summer blooming kind. Keep 
the bulbs over winter in a cellar, or other 
convenient place, in a temperature of 45 
degrees. In April pot into rich soil and 
give a watering. For the following week or 
two they can be left in any cool, dark place, 
such as in the cellar, or under a bench, until 
the roots have started. Having once started, 
the plants will make a rapid growth and 
come into bloom in ten or twelve weeks. 
The habit is the same as that of the 
common calla. The foliage is a rich, 




THE BEST FLOWERING BEGONIA 

Begonia Gloire Lorraine, pale pink flowers, is one of the most showy plants 
for Christmas. It can be grown indoors by careful handling. See page 120 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



129 



dark green. The plants produce seed quite 
freely. 

Another very popular bulbous plant is 
the amaryllis, or rather the hippeastrum. 
The most popular, and the one that will 
best withstand the conditions of house cul- 
ture, is Johnsoni, a garden hybrid. This 
has been cross-fertilized times innumerable, 
so that now one may secure varieties in 
almost any shade of red. The lily-like 
trumpets are four to five inches across, and 
are borne on stems eighteen inches to two 
feet high. The best named varieties arrive 
from abroad in November. They cannot 
be secured before because the bulbs must 
be thoroughly ripened before shipping. Very 
good American grown bulbs can be secured 
about a month earlier, however. 

As soon as received pot the bulbs in a 
good soil composed of three parts rotted sod, 
two parts well-decayed horse manure, and 
one part of sand. Allow the bulbs to lie 
dormant until along in January, when, if 
they are good, strong bulbs, they will flower. 
As soon as the flower bud is seen emerg- 
ing from the bulb put the plant in a window 
where it can get plenty of sunlight and water. 



130 



HOUSE PLANTS 



The plants flower before much leaf- 
growth is made, that developing after the 
flowering season. During the period of 
growth water the soil once or twice a week 
with manure water. When all danger of 
frost is past plunge the potted plants out- 
doors in coal ashes, soil, or anything else 
handy, to prevent the rapid evaporation of 
water through the pots. When the leaves 
begin to turn yellow it is a sign that the bulbs 
are ripening. Then gradually withhold water 
and when they are ripe store them in a cool, 
dry place until the flower scapes begin to 
push out of the soil the following winter. 

THE BLUE AFRICAN LILY 

Agapanthus umhellatus has many long, nar- 
row, dark leaves, from among which rises a 
stem two or three feet high, bearing a large 
umbel of very handsome blue flowers. Unlike 
the amaryllis, it flowers with its leaves, which 
adds to its beauty. The easiest way to handle 
it is to grow it in pots or tubs which are 
stored in a light cellar or other dry place 
during the winter. During the resting pe- 
riod give the plant just enough water to 
prevent the leaves from falling. In the 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



Spring, when danger of frost is past, the 
plants are put outdoors to flower and make 
their growth. 

The agapanthus is, however, easily forced 
into bloom at other seasons of the year, for 
the flowering season is controlled by the 
resting period. The earlier you wish it to 
flower, the earlier you dry it off; and then 
it does not have to rest all winter if the 
growth was made outdoors the previous 
summer, for it can be brought into the win- 
dow after the turn of the year, and started 
into growth. When once established, the 
plants need not be repotted for several 
years if they are fed with manure water dur- 
ing the period of growth. The blood flower 
(Haemanthus) requires the same treatment. 

AN EVERGREEN BULB 

Clivia (C miniata, or Imantophyllum 
miniatum) is an evergreen bulbous plant, 
well worth growing for the beauty of its dark 
green foliage. It flowers during the spring 
or early summer months. The flowers are 
funnel-shaped, as in the amaryllis, and are 
bright red with a yellow throat, and about 
three inches across. Pot in a strong, well- 



132 



HOUSE PLANTS 



drained soil, which will not wear out for a 
couple of years, and which will not become 
sodden or sour; for it is not necessary to repot 
it each year. During the winter store the 
Clivia in a light, cool place, the temperature 
of which does not go below 40 degrees; 
under such conditions it needs but little 
water. 

Some other plants which the window 
gardener can grov/ with comparative ease, 
and from which a great deal of pleasure can 
be had, are: 

Shrubs: Acacia arjnata, flowers yellow; 
succeeds under the same treatment as is given 
azaleas. Chinese hibiscus {H. Rosa-S tnensis), 
flowers red; but there are several varieties the 
colourings of which vary to salmon and pink. 
Sweet olive (Osmanthus fragrans, but known 
in the trade as Olea fragrans\ very small 
white flowers which emit a very delightful 
odour. Swainsona galegifoUa, and its varie- 
ties alhiflora and violacea; flowers red, 
white, or rose-violet respectively. 

Herbaceous plants: Lantana, Strohilanthes 
anisophyllus, and coral plant {Russelia 
juncea), which is good for edging boxes, etc. 

Vines: Clerodendron Balfouri; Maylayan 



FLOWERING PLANTS 



jasmine (Rhynchospermum jasminoides); 
Potato vine (^Solarium j a sminotdes); Stephan- 
otis floribunda, and the ¥/ax plant (Hoy a 
carnosd). 

Annuals to be grown from seeds or cut- 
tings each year: Monkey flower (Mijnulus 
ttgrtnus); stocks, wallflower (Cheiranthus 
Cheirt); sensitive plant (^Mimosa pudica). 

For summer flowers in the house grow 
tuberous rooted begonias. These must be 
started in March, and in September, when 
the bulbs have ripened, store in a cool, 
dry place. 

A word of encouragement may be wise 
here: While the soil recommendations given 
in the preceding pages are sound, and desir- 
able for the best results, still the plant lover 
need not forego the pleasure of his favourites 
because the exact conditions cannot be sup- 
plied. With intelligent care and loving 
attention much is often accomplished with 
very ordinary soils indeed. Therefore I say, 
try with the best approach to the ideal that 
you can have. 



CHAPTER X 



Roses, Carnations, and Chrysanthemums 

The three most popular flowers — Forcing for winter 
bloom — Propagating carnations from cuttings — Put- 
ting outdoors for summer — Varieties that are best 
for the window garden. 

There is no necessity for the existence 
of the small, sickly, rose bushes that it has 
been my lot to see in so many homes that 
I have visited; bushes that are struggling 
to merely exist. Properly handled, roses 
in the window garden will give a good crop 
of flowers during the early months of the 
year, at least. 

One way to accomplish this is to have 
the plants growing outdoors during the 
summer^ ^iggii^g them up early in Novem- 
ber, potting and forcing into bloom. While 
this works fairly well, and will do for those 
who have not made better preparation 
for the winter's flowers, the better way is to 
grow the plants in pots or boxes all summer 
long. 

134 



ROSES, ETC. 
WHAT ROSES TO GROW 



Some of the best varieties for growing in 
boxes are Anchen Muller (Pink Baby 
Rambler), Mme. Norbert Levavasseur (Baby 
Rambler), Clothilde Soupert, Crimson Ramb- 
ler, Gruss an Teplitz, Hermosa, Maman 
Cochet, Papa Gontier, Safrano, White Maman 
Cochet. 

Get these as early in the spring as the 
nurseryman will ship them to you, and plant 
them in boxes. A convenient-sized box 
will be about three feet long, eight to ten 
inches deep, and about fifteen inches wide. 
Such a box will fit into a window very nicely, 
but must be held in place by a bracket. I 
would not advise using a box of smaller 
size as it will dry out too quickly, necessi- 
tating very frequent watering, a very un- 
favourable condition for plant growth. 

Have several one-inch holes in the bottom 
of the box so that the surplus water may 
drain away. To keep it from dropping 
on the floor keep a tin or galvanized tray 
under it. There must be an air space (one 
inch) under the box to allow a circulation 
of air. In the bottom of the box put a 



136 



HOUSE PLANTS 



one-inch layer of drainage — gravel or coal 
clinkers will do — and fill the box with soil 
for planting. 

Roses prefer a heavy soil, one composed of 
three or four parts rotted sod to one of 
manure will be satisfactory. 

THE PLANTS TO BUY 

Buy two-year-old plants. Put about three 
plants to a box, and plant them as deeply 
as the boxes will allow; and if the roses are 
budded, get the union between stock and 
cion three inches below the surface, if 
possible. Cut the canes back to within six 
inches of the ground. 

Until the plants have taken hold of the new 
soil, keep the boxes in a shaded place, then 
remove them to full sunlight. Never allow the 
soil to become dry, and as soon as the boxes 
have become well filled with roots water the 
plants once or twice a week with manure 
water. In the fall, when the leaves begin to 
drop, give the soil less water, and when the 
leaves have all dropped, or the last of them are 
just about to drop, stop watering until 
you are ready for forcing, which will be about 
the turn of the year. 



ROSES, CARNATIONS 



The roses may be stored almost aPxV- 
where in a cool place. Some freezing will 
not hurt them; in fact, it vrill help to put the 
plants in good condition. 

BEGINNING TO FORCE 

About the first of the vear cut back the 
canes about half, place the boxes in the 
window of the living room, and in a couple 
of months or so the plants will have plenty 
of good flowers. 

After the flowering season is over put the 
plants outdoors if all danger of frost is past, 
remove some of the top soil and top dress 
with nev7 soil, and get them ready for another 
winter's forcing. I would not force them 
more than two winters, however; after that, 
throw away the plants and start afresh 

STARTING CARNATIONS 

Another excellent plant for the window 
garden is the carnation. Along in May 
procure from your neighbouring florist cut- 
tings which have become established in two 
or three inch pots, and which have not become 
pot bound. If they are healthy it will 
make no diff'erence if they look rather lank 



138 



HOUSE PLANTS 



or leggy, because about the first thing to 
do will be to pinch them back — pinch 
out the tops. If the plants are put in the 
garden before all danger of frost is past 
they will not be injured if they have been 
properly hardened off. 

During the summer grow the plants out 
of doors. Select a well-drained portion of 
the garden, spade it as deeply as possible 
with a spading fork, turning under at the 
same time a dressing of well-decomposed 
manure which has been spread on the ground 
about three inches thick. After spading 
thoroughly, rake the soil until it is fine and 
smooth, and all the stones have been removed. 
Set the plants eighteen inches apart, in rows 
which are eighteen to twenty-four inches 
apart. Cultivate the ground thoroughly all 
summer long. I have found it an excellent 
scheme to go over the garden about once in 
two weeks, loosening up the soil with a spad- 
ing fork, to a depth of about three inches. 

Water freely all summer, do not give 
them a little sprinkling every day, which 
will do more harm than good — give them a 
thorough soaking once or twice a week, after 
which the surface soil must be stirred with a 



CARNATIONS 



wheel hoe, or other tool, to form a soil mulch, 
to prevent the evaporation of moisture. I 
had a plot about 100 feet square, of sandy 
soil, with a gravelly subsoil, so there was no 
danger of overwatering. This little garden 
plot held a miscellaneous collection of plants 
which were grown for potting up in the late 
summer, for winter flowers, and on this plot 
a hose ran every day. Some part of the 
garden had a thorough soaking each day, 
and each part had a watering about twice a 
week, so you can see that if your ground is 
well drained, you need not have any fear 
of over-watering your plants or garden. 

As soon as the plants start to grow, pinch 
out the top. This is easily done with the 
thumb and forefinger. This pinching should 
continue all summer, at intervals of ten 
days or two weeks, or when the new 
shoots which start as a result of the pinching 
have made about an inch or an inch and a 
half of growth. Be careful to note the dif- 
ference between the leaves and stems. The 
new leaves frequently stick out straight and 
round, like a stem. 

This constant pinching will secure round, 
stocky plants, six or eight inches in diameter. 



140 



HOUSE PLANTS 



If the plants are allowed to run up to a 
single stem, and then to flower, they will 
be of little use for next winter. 

LIFTING AND POTTING 

About the middle of August is a good 
time to transplant the plants into pots and 
boxes — their permanent quarters for next 
winter. If you have a small greenhouse, 
and want to plant them out on a bench, this 
is the time to do it. 

As a general rule people soak the ground 
just before lifting the plants, or do this work 
after a rain. I have found the contrary to 
be good practice. I got much better results 
from allowing ground to dry out a little. 
This however, cannot always be done on 
heavy soil, nor v^ll it work properly unless 
the soil is full of humus, but on my sandy 
soil it gave me great, long feeding roots, 
which I otherwise would have lost. 

Plants grown as I have described will need 
pots six or seven inches in diameter — they 
may be put in boxes, or on benches, and 
planted a foot apart. 

Do not "over-pot" them. ^Vhen you are 
putting them in the sized pots mentioned 



CARNATIONS 



you will feel that you are crowding them, but 
you forget that the nev7 soil which you are 
putting around them is full of plant food, so 
that they will not need to have a large 
amount of soil in which to forage. 

I found that a soil consisting of equal parts 
of rotted sod, leafmould, well-decomposed 
horse manure, and sand, made a good 
medium in which to grow the plants. If 
you can m.ix up your soil a week in advance, 
put in a hve-inch pot full of bone meal to a 
wheelbarrowful of soil. This must be done 
beforehand, as it ferments, which would 
hurt the roots if it were added just before 
potting the plants in it. 

Be sure that the roots are spread out as 
much as possible, and that the soil is worked 
m well among the roots. This can be done by 
filling up the pot, and then holding the plant 
by the stem, gently lifting it up and down. 
You will be surprised to find how much 
soil will work in around the roots which 
you could not get in there by any other 
method. 

Firm — do not pack — the soil, first with 
the hands, and then with a potting stick. 
This stick should be a piece of white pine, 



142 



HOUSE PLANTS 



because it is soft; about a foot long, an inch 
to an inch and a half wide, and about 
three-quarters of an inch thick, rounded at 
the ends and the corners smoothed off, so 
as not to hurt the hands. 

CARE AFTER POTTING 

When potted, water the plants, giving 
them enough so that all the soil in the pots is 
thoroughly moistened, and set them in a 
shady place for a few days, where they are 
sheltered from the wind. The watering will 
help settle soil among the roots. In order to 
help the plants recover from the shock of 
transplanting, syringe the foliage three or 
four times a day, doing it early in the morn- 
ing and late in the afternoon, with a couple 
of syringings in the middle of the day. Take 
care, however, not to give them so much 
water that the soil in the pots will be kept 
very wet, because if you do the soil vAW 
sour. Great care must be exercised to keep 
the soil moist but not water-logged. At 
this time the plants are forming new working 
roots, so they can take only a small quantity 
of water from the soil. 

In a couple of weeks when the new roots 



CARNATIONS, CHRYSANTHEMUMS I43 



will have commenced to form and to work, 
the plants should be gradually brought 
into the positions more exposed to the sun. 
When the plants are first potted, they will 
wilt somewhat during the day, but so long as 
they have a fresh, bright, crisp appearance 
each morning, you need have no fear of 
losing them. 

When the plants have become established 
they may be brought into the house, or they 
may be set in a deep coldframe, or any other 
place where they can be easily cared for, 
have plenty of sunlight, and be protected 
from the cold nights. 

I do not now recall the names of those 
which I grew, and, moreover, varieties of 
carnation come and go rapidly, but here are 
six contemporary varieties suitable for window 
boxes, which will give good returns, as they 
are compact growing, free blooming kinds: 
Enchantress, pale pink: Mrs. Nelson, deep 
pink; May Naylor, white; Boston Market, 
white; Portia, scarlet; Eldorado, yellow. 

CHRYSANTHEMUMS NEED THE SAME CARE 

I have described how I grew my carna- 
tions. In this same plot of ground I always 



144 



HOUSE PLANTS 



had a lot of chrysanthemums. They were 
plants which were started in the spring, and 
were large enough so that some of them 
were in five-inch pots when I planted 
them out late in May, sometimes before the 
last frosts, which will not injure them. 
They were given the same treatment as were 
the carnations, except the pinching out 
of the ends of the shoots. This was done 
regularly; every day or two the plants were 
looked over, the ends of some of the shoots 
being pinched out. As a rule, I usually 
allowed a new shoot to make about two 
inches of stem before stopping it, but varied 
it, as was necessary, in order to secure a 
symmetrical plant. Pinching out the ends 
of the shoots must stop not later than the 
first of August. Some of the professional 
growers do not stop the shoots after the 
middle of July. 

Plants given the treatment described will 
need pots from eight to ten inches in dia- 
meter, with possibly a few exceptions, when 
eleven and twelve inch sizes may be needed 
— never larger than that. Soap boxes will 
make very good receptacles for them., and 
they are much the cheaper, as several boxes 



CHRYSANTHEMUMS 



can be got from the grocer for the price 
of one pot. Provide good drainage by 
making four or five holes in the bottom of 
the box and putting in a layer one or two 
inches deep of stones or clinkers. 

After lifting and potting put the plants 
in a shaded place. They will wilt more 
or less during the day, but as long as they 
are fresh looking each morning you need 
have no fear of losing them. Syringe the 
foliage frequently during the day, but after 
the first watering given at the time of pot- 
ting do not water the soil until the plants 
have taken hold of it. The syringing of 
the foliage will provide enough moisture 
for the soil. 

The plants may stay outdoors until the cool 
nights of fall come, then put them in the 
house where they are to flower. When the 
pots are again full of roots give manure 
water once or twice a week until the buds 
commence to show colour. 

Keep the plants clean by syringing with 
tobacco water or fumigating; the black 
aphis is very fond of chrysanthemums. 

After flowering, cut the plants to near the 
ground, and store the boxes in a light, cool 



146 



HOUSE PLANTS 



place until next February or March, when 
cuttings can be made from the suckers. 
These will make good plants for the succeed- 
ing falFs flowers. 



CHAPTER XI 



Cactuses and Other Succulents 

Plants for the busy man or woman — Their remark- 
ably resistant powers — Accommodation to small 
spaces — Their peculiar merits described — Raising 
from seed — Making plants from cuttings — Watering 
and the rot disease. 

For the man or woman who has only a few 
odd minutes to spare at irregular intervals 
for plant cultivation the cactuses and some of 
the succulents will give the greatest amount 
of satisfaction. Unlike most other window 
plants they do not greatly resent irregularities 
in watering. They have no tender foliage to 
get damaged, or to fall if conditions become 
unduly bad; and they require less attention 
in the matter of repotting into larger-sized 
receptacles than any other class of plants. 
Their slow rate of growth is a positive 
advantage for the window gardener, as a 
remarkably large assortment can be kept in 
the same quarters for a number of years 
without becoming unduly crowded. 

147 



148 



HOUSE PLANTS 



With very few exceptions indeed cactuses 
are not grown for their flowers, but when 
these do appear they are every bit as gorgeous 
as many of the better known flowering plants, 
and often indeed, with their intensely glow- 
ing ruby and purple shades, they rival even 
the most showy of the orchids. The flowers 
are also very large in comparison with the 
plants, and it is no unusual thing to see a 
little plant three or four inches high in a pot 
a trifle smaller, carrying two or three flowers, 
each one of which is of almost the same size 
as the parent stock. 

Cactuses offer untold opportunities for 
"house gardens/' Unfortunates who are con- 
fined to city apartments, and whose only oppor- 
tunity to keep growing plants is confined to 
the living rooms or shelves in the window, 
can easily accommodate two or three dozen 
cactuses where there would hardly be space 
for one good-sized Boston fern or a couple 
of starved geraniums. The little plants are 
never in the way, and can be shifted about 
easily as necessity demands; and though, of 
course, hard usage is most undesirable, they 
will survive the hundred and one accidents 
and strains upon their vitality that would be 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 



149 



fatal to any other living thing. Though the 
cat may jump and knock them down with 
such persistent regularity that the plants are 
tumbled out of their pots every few weeks, 
they will still remain alive. I do not advo- 
cate such maltreatment and neglect; cactuses, 
Hke everything else, will give amazing returns 
for attention that is just a little bit better than 
the ordinary, and there is a great personal 
satisfaction in being the possessor of some- 
thing a little better than your friends. 

The only way to get flawless specimens is 
to grow the plants yourself from seed, and 
the process is simplicity itself. (See page 166.) 
You can begin at any time of year, with the 
absolute confidence of producing plants of 
appreciable size in twelve months of such 
genera as Cereus and Opuntia. Plants that 
have been collected in the wild will never 
present the same even texture of surface and 
bright green colour, nor will they attain 
equal rapidity of growth or live so long as plants 
raised in cultivation, because their roots are 
damaged in the removal. 

For the purpose of the window gardener 
cactuses may be grouped into these general 
classes: (i) Tall; (2) Dwarf; (3) Vine-hke. 



150 



HOUSE PLANTS 



In the first class are the Indian figs and 
some species of the genus Cereus, but I 
would hardly recommend them for the win- 
dow garden, because they soon get so tall 
that they are top heavy, and frequently 
tumble over. 

GOOD TALL PLANTS 

Only two of the tall growing kinds need be 
included in the amateur's window collection. 
The Indian figs (Opuntia) have flat, round or 
club-shaped stems, but they are usually flat, 
and the joints either round or oblong in 
shape. The rather large flowers are borne 
singly on the upper edges of the young growths, 
and are showy, the usual colour being yellow, 
but they may also be found in various shades 
of red. One of the best of this type to grow 
is 0. microdasys, with flowers two inches 
across, and greenish yellow in colour. 

A very interesting one, but more difficult 
to grow, is the dwarf prickly pear (0. crinifera 
also known as 0. senilis). Instead of spines, 
it has long, silky white hairs, and must be 
grown under a bell glass, if the hairs are to 
be kept clean. It never attains a height of 
more than about three feet. 



SOME GOOD CACTUSES 

These are the best plants for crowded quarters because they never demand 
much space, i. The bishop's cap {Echinocactus myr to stigma)', 2. Another 
Echinocactus with characteristic spines ; 3. A dwarf-growing Echinocactus 
(£. ornatus). 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS I5I 

In Mexico the organ cactus (Cereus mar- 
ginatus, also known as C. gemmatus) is used 
for hedges or fences. It is distinct in appear- 
ance from others of its genus. The stem is 
seldom over three inches in diameter, with 
five or six very obtuse ridges, each of which has 
a row of short, black spines, which grow in 
bunches of seven to nine. This can be 
successfully grown in the house too. 

RED FLOWERS ALL WINTER 

The commonest cactus in the window 
garden, because it gives such a wealth of 
bright flowers, is the crab cactus (Epiphyl- 
lum truncatum). In its native country it is 
an epiphyte, but it can be grown successfully 
on its own roots in soil. The best way, how- 
ever, is to have a plant grafted on Pereskia. 
The young stems are flat, resembling the claws 
of a crab, but they become round and woody 
with age. During the winter each tip produces 
a pair of brilliant flowers, ruby-red, or varying 
toward violet-red, according to the variety. 
In Europe there are many named varieties. 
It is useful in suspended pots, or baskets, the 
long stems hanging over the edges of the pots. 
It flowers in the winter. Grow in a soil 



152 HOUSE PLANTS 

made of equal parts of fibrous loam, leaf- 
mould, and sand, vvith some finely broken 
charcoal or broken brick, for drainage. 

Another red flowered plant (but blooming 
in June) is Phyllocactus Ackennanni. Its 
big flowers (four to six inches in diameter 
are like those of the night-blooming cereus, 
(and it is grown in the same way) but they 
are scarlet-red outside and carmine-red 
inside. It has flat stems, and grows only 
about three feet high. 

THE NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUS TANGLE 

The most popular of the vine-like cactuses 
are several quite distinct plants, but all 
popularly known as "night-blooming cereus." 
Two genera are confused under this name — 
Cereus and Phyllocactus. They make long, 
straggly stems, which may be trained up 
along the window cases or over trellises. 
The stems of Cereus have three to six 
angles, while Phyllocactus stems are 
flat, the ends looking like long, fleshy- 
oak leaves. All the cereus and the night- 
blooming phyllocactus have large white 
flowers. They expand just after sundown, 
and remain open until the sun shines upon 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 153 



them the following morning, when they 
collapse. 

These plants need a richer soil than the 
ordinary run of cactus. Give them a fibrous 
compost, and mix some broken charcoal 
with it, to insure good drainage. 

A HANDFUL OF DWARF PLANTS 

Regarded purely as window garden plants 
the dwarf species — growing to about a 
foot, or less — are the most desirable. They 
possess a great variety of queer forms, and 
some are most viciously spiny. 

One of the most peculiarly shaped is the 
bishop's cap" (Echinocactus myriostigma, 
also known as Astrophytum myriostigma). 
The outline of this plant is that of a flattened 
globe, and at the most is only about five 
inches in diameter. It has five or six very 
prominent ribs, on the edges of which the 
pale yellow flowers are borne. The surface 
of the plant is more or less covered with a 
v/hite scale-like growth (clusters of minute 
spines), which reminds one of scale insects. 
This plant seems particularly prone to rot 
at the surface of the soil, to avoid which it 
can be grafted on a cereus. 



154 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Of the same general type is the sea-urchin 
cactus (Echinopsis). If it were not for the 
ridges these plants would look like gourds 
standing on their small ends. They some- 
times reach a diameter of twelve inches, but 
as grown in the window garden, rarely exceed 
half that size. The stem has anywhere 
from a dozen to eighteen sharp ridges. The 
flowers are about six inches long, trumpet- 
shaped, and either red, pink, or white. The 
two most commonly grown species are E. 
multiplex^ with rose-red flowers, but blooming 
seldom, and E. Eyriesii, which has white 
flowers produced freely. 

One of the most curious is the living rock 
cactus {Anhalonium E7igelmanni, known 
in the trade as A. £ssuratum), sometimes 
also called "dry whiskey," because a very 
strong, intoxicating drink is made by crush- 
ing the plant and adding a little water. 

Among the very smallest are the mammil- 
larias, seldom growing over six inches high. 
They get their name because they are cov- 
ered with tubercles, instead of ridges. These 
are usually set in rows which twist spirally 
around the plants. On the end of each 
tubercle is a cluster of small spines. The 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS I 55 



flowers are small and tubular, yellow, 
red, carmine, or purple. In a month 
or two after the flowers have disappeared a 
little red fruit appears, and is far prettier 
than the flower. Mammillaria hicolor is a 
very handsome species, with white spines 
which lie flat on the stem. In M. plumosa 
and M. lasiacantha the spines are like fine 
white hairs. When grown under tumblers, 
to keep the dust from collecting and soiling 
the hairs, the plants look like bolls of cotton. 

The "old man" cactus {Pilocereus senilis) 
is another one of those curious fuzzy cactuses 
needing protection from dust. The hairs 
are from two to five inches long. The 
flowers, which are seldom produced in culti- 
vation, are four inches long, and red. In a 
pot this plant rarely exceeds a foot in height, 
although it becomes a veritable tree in its 
native haunts. 

THE CENTURY PLANT 

Some other desert plants which are not 
cactuses, but needing practically the same 
treatment, are usually associated with them 
naturally. 

Probably the most talked-of among these 



156 



HOUSE PLANTS 



succulent plants " is the so-called century 
plant {Agave Americana), from the supposi- 
tion that it blooms but once in a century. It 
seldom does bloom in cultivation, but that 
is because of insufficient pot room which 
cramps the roots and supplies a meagre 
amount of plant food. Under favourable 
conditions the century plant has been made 
to flower in something like twenty years. 
To accomplish this an abundance of plant 
food and water was supplied. Although 
this, as well as all the other agaves, come 
from the arid portions of south - western 
United States and Mexico where they have 
a strenuous struggle for existence, they will 
promptly respond to good treatment. 

The century plant is very useful to the 
amateur. If he does not care for it in the 
living room it can be grown in a tub and 
set on or in the lawn during the summer 
and stored during the cool months of the 
year in a rather light but frost-proof cellar. 
Stored thus, it will require but little water 
during the winter. 

Small plants can be grown all winter in the 
living room, and when warm weather comes 
they may be used for porch decoration. 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS I57 

The century plants are well adapted for this 
because of their symmetrical habit. A large 
century plant will have forty or fifty fleshy 
leaves, each about three or four feet long and 
three to four inches across, which gradually 
taper to a point that is tipped with a very 
sharp spine; the edges also have a few short 
spines. They form a large rosette which 
sits on the ground. The leaves are of a 
light glaucous green colour in the type, 
but there are several varieties known as 
picta, variegata, and recurvata. Some of 
the varieties have a more or less broad 
yellowy stripe down through the centre of 
the leaf, while in others the leaves are edged 
with yellow. 

Should you be so fortunate as to have a 
plant flower, do not be surprised that it dies 
as soon as the seeds mature. It always does 
this, but the plant may be perpetuated by 
the numerous suckers which will be found 
about the base of the old plant. 

The flowers are borne in clusters at the 
top of a tall stout stem and have a weird can- 
delabra-like effect. 

There are about one hundred and fifty 
diff'erent species of agave, varying in the 



158 



HOUSE PLANTS 



size and shape of the leaves, but there is not 
enough difference between them to pay 
anyone but a botanist in growing a large col- 
lection of them. The only exception to 
this is the Queen Victoria century plant 
(Agave Victorice-RegincB). The leaves of this 
are short and thick — so thick that sometimes 
they appear to be three-sided — with three 
more or less well-defined edges, having 
white filaments. The ends of the leaves 
are blunt but tipped with a short black spine. 
So closely together and so regularly are the 
leaves set that they form a hemispherical 
mass. Where the room is limited this is the 
best one to grow. 

Give century plants a sandy soil and pot 
them firmly. If they are planted outdoors 
during the summer, be sure they are in 
sufficiently large pots so that when taken up 
in the fall they will not need repotting. 

THE ALOES 

Next to century plants I believe that the 
aloes are the most interesting. Although 
there are a large number of species, only a 
few are in general cultivation, the most com- 
mon of which is the Barbadoes aloe (Aloe 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS I59 



vera). Strange as it may seem it belongs to 
the same family as our beautiful Easter lily. 
The light green leaves are very thick and 
fleshy and taper gradually to a point which is 
not tipped with a spine. At a distance the 
edges look as if they were set with spines, 
but one is agreeably suprised to find that it 
is a suggestion only. In the late winter 
months a flower stem about one and a half or 
two feet long is produced which bears at its 
top a conical-shaped cluster of yellow flowers 
which reminds one of the flower cluster of the 
red-hot poker plant (Kniphofia), a close 
relative. The individual flowers are about 
one and one-quarter inches long, yellow, and 
crowded closely together. A single flower 
lasts only a day or two, but the lower ones 
open first while the buds of the upper ones 
are still forming so that one plant will be 
in flower for a fortnight, or so. 

If you want a red-flov/ered aloe grow A, 
Succoirina. 

These aloes have one bad habit: when they 
begin to get of any size they become top- 
heavy. To overcome this, stake them for 
several years. If the plant becomes too big 
for the window garden and yet you do not 



i6o 



HOUSE PLANTS 



wish to dispose of it, use it outdoors during 
the summer and store it in the cellar over 
winter as suggested for century plants. 
Under this treatment, however, flowers are 
the exception. 

The aloes prefer a richer soil than most 
of the succulents. I have seen them thriving 
when grown in nothing but garden loam, but 
I prefer to give them a soil made up of about 
three parts sandy loam, and one part of old 
plaster and broken bricks. A little well- 
decayed manure may also be added with 
much benefit to the plants. 

A GOOD BASKET PLANT 

The best succulent for a hanging basket 
is "little pickles" (Othonna Capensis, but 
almost always called O. crassifolia by the 
florists). Its leaves are shaped like cucum- 
ber pickles, but are only an inch or less long. 
The flowers are yellow, one-half to three- 
quarters of an inch across and look like dan- 
delion flowers. They only open in the sun 
but at almost any season of the year each 
shoot has a flower stalk on the end of it. 
Little pickles may be increased easily by 
planting pieces of the stem and does best 




A NIGHT BLOOMING CEREUS 

As a matter of fact the plant here shown is not a Cereus at all, but a Phyl- 
locactus. The true Cereus has angular, not leaf-like, stems 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS l6l 



when given a fairly rich soil, but be careful 
not to over water it. 

THE OLD-FASHIONED "aIR PLANT" 

If you want something interesting to show 
your friends, grow the so-called air plant 
{Bryophyllum calycinurn). The plant itself 
has no decorative value, but it blooms about 
once a year. The flowers are reddish green 
with white spots, are about two inches long 
and are borne in clusters. The curious thing 
about this plant is that if a leaf is laid on a 
damp surface it will produce a new plant at 
each indentation. I have seen leaves pinned 
to a wall or window casing in the house pro- 
duce four or five new plants. 

GROTESQUE EUPHORBIAS 

For something grotesque, grow one of the 
euphorbias, and it does not make much differ- 
ence which one of the fleshy kinds it is; neri- 
ifolia and antiquorum are good ones. The 
stems are green, fleshy and three or four 
angled. Some kinds, like E. neriifolia, have 
a good crop of leaves; others have but few, 
in which case they look like bare poles, and 
some have no leaves at all and are very spiny, 



HOUSE PLANTS 



SO much SO that you look a second time to 
see whether they do not belong to the cereus 
tribe of cactuses. 

The crown of thorns {Euphorbia splen- 
dens\ is covered with short, stout, sharp 
spines. The young growth is always covered 
with leaves and the bright red bracts, sur- 
rounding the flowers, are in evidence most of 
the year. In order to keep the plant within 
bounds it must be trained on a form. 

V 

THE FIG MARIGOLDS 

Another class of plants which will prove 
very interesting indeed, are the fig marigolds 
(Mesembryanthemum). The leaves of the 
various species assume very peculiar shapes 
and the colour varies from a light glaucous 
green to very dark green. Some of the 
species flower freely, e. g., tricolorum and 
Pomeridianum, two annuals. 

M. cordi folium, var. variegatum, is a half- 
hardy, variegated form which is well worth 
growing as an edging for beds in summer or 
for rockeries. 

APICRA, HAWORTHIA, GASTERIA 

The apicras, haworthias, and gasterias 
have curiously shaped leaves. Those of the 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 163 

latter are usually strap or tongue shaped, 
four to six inches long, dark green in colour, 
and covered more or less with small white 
spots. In all of the gasterias the leaves are 
produced in two ranks one above the other. 
In April and May, and sometimes later in the 
season, a long flower spike is produced on 
which are scattering red flowers, which are 
rather interesting but do not make much of 
a show unless one has a number of plants in 
flower at the same time, in which case mass 
them. 

The apicras and haworthias have short 
leaves, one and a half inches long, roundish, 
tapering to a point and are arranged in spiral 
form around a central axis which sometimes 
is three or four inches tall. 

COTYLEDON, ECHEVERIA 

Another interesting plant which I like to 
grow is Cotyledon gihhi flora, var. metallic a, 
but known by the florists as Echeveria 
metallica. It has some curiously shaped 
flowers which are interesting but not showy. 
Its interest lies in its beautiful glaucous, 
purple, obovate-spatulate leaves which are 
sometimes six inches wide and seven inches 



164 



HOUSE PLANTS 



long; also it forms a big rosette. About one 
plant is enough in a collection. If you wish 
more, break off a leaf at the joint and put it 
in sand; in a few weeks a bud vv^ill develop 
at the base. I have, however, seen leaves 
that failed to make a bud. They continued 
for three or four years to exist simply as 
rooted leaves. 

A good many cotyledons are used dur- 
ing the summer for carpet bedding, but 
perhaps the commonest is C. secunda, var. 
glauca. This plant is about three inches in 
diameter and one or two inches high; the 
flower stalks are always kept pinched out, 
for the flowers are uninteresting. 

SEDUMS AND HOUSE LEEKS 

There are a great many sedums and they 
are very interesting plants too. The showy 
sedum (S. spectahile) and the live-for-ever 
{S. Telephiurri), are two that are hardy and 
can be successfully grown outdoors as well 
as in the house. The commonest sedum, 
however, is the stonecrop (^S. acre). This is 
an evergreen and may be used as a hanging 
plant for the stems will hang down over the 
sides of the pot, or it may be used in filling 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 165 



window boxes. I have seen it used thus and 
Stay outdoors permanently. The leaves are 
very small (one-quarter of an inch long), but 
they are crowded closely together on the 
stems. The foliage is a delightfully bright 
green and in the variety aureum the shoots 
are bright golden yellow in the spring; in 
the variety elegans the tips and young 
leaves are a pale silvery colour. The sedums 
are easily propagated by seeds or by the 
offsets which are freely produced. 

The house leeks (Sempervivum) are very 
similar to the sedums. The commonest 
ones are the common house leek (5. tectorum), 
and hen-and-chickens (S. glohiferuni). Like 
the sedums these are best grown in boxes, 
but the plants must not be allowed to grow 
too thickly or they will not flower. 

The most interesting one and, perhaps, the 
best for house culture, is the spider-web 
house leek (5. arachnoideuni). The leaves, 
which are short and fat, are borne in rosettes 
and between the tips of the leaves there are 
fine, w^hite threads, like a spider's web. The 
flowers are bright red and borne on stalks 
three to five inches high. 

Like the sedums the house leeks are easily 



HOU5E PLANTS 



reproduced by the offsets or even by leaf 
cutting as suggested for the cotyledon. 

CACTUSES FROM SEED, ETC. 

To grow cactuses from seed sow the seeds 
in a well-drained seed soil, and handle them 
like any other seeds. After germination 
give less water than for other seedlings, or 
the young plants will burst, i. e., the skin will 
crack open, resulting in a scar that is 
permanent. 

Making a cutting of cactus is the easiest 
thing in the world. Just cut or break off a 
piece of the plant, and you are done. Since 
the tissues are so watery, the cut surface 
must be callused before the cutting is planted. 
Lay it on a shelf in a sunny situation, where 
there is a good circulation of air, for a few 
days. 

Such succulents as the aloes, haworthias, 
apicras and gasterias, may be grown from 
suckers as well as seeds and cuttings. 

Late May and June is best for starting 
the cuttings, because the wounds will then 
heal quickly and well. Similarly, collected 
plants should be received in the early sum- 
mer, because they are so liable to suffer 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 167 



some damage in transit, but will heal quickly 
in summer. 

Collected plants are generally without 
roots, or they are so badly damaged that 
they must be removed. Make a clean cut 
v/ith a sharp knife (always use a sharp knife 
in gardening), and if the base of the plant 
is hard and woody, remove that also, because 
roots will start only from the fresh growing 
parts. Cut back to the soft, watery tissue, 
and expose to the sun until the wound has 
callused. Any diseased or decayed portion 
of the plants must be cut out; if this does 
not stop the spread of the trouble, cut it out 
again, and then cauterize the wound with 
a hot iron. 

THE EASY SOIL PROBLEM 

It does not matter much what sort of soil 
is used so long as it is a well-drained one. 
That is essential. One successful grower 
uses equal parts of sandy loam, coal ashes 
and sand, and advises the improvement of a 
clayey soil by adding to it a little air-slacked 
lime. Another, equally successful, uses equal 
parts of fibrous loam and old lime rubbish 
(plaster, etc.) from which the fine dust has 



i68 



HOUSE PLANTS 



been screened, with the addition of some 
clean, sharp sand. 

The succulent plants other than the 
cactuses can be grown in a much richer soil, 
but great care must be exercised not to 
overwater, causing the stems to rot. Seed- 
ling succulents may be grown in pots 
— one to a pot — or in flats w4th a large 
number in each one. It is handiest to have 
the plants in pots. Even the smallest need 
drainage. A good rule to follov/ is to fill one- 
quarter to one-third of the pot with coarse 
drainage, such as coke, coal clinkers, or 
broken pots, over which put a little sphagnum 
moss, to keep the soil from sifting down 
among the drainage. 

When potting up a cactus select a pot just a 
little larger than the body of the plant. 
Many people crowd the plant into as 
small a pot as possible, but I believe this is 
bad, because the plant needs some space 
in vs^hich to grow, and if the pot is smiall, 
it is impossible to water it properly. 
When potting, put the coarsest part of the 
soil next to the drainage, w4th the finer 
part above it, and around the plant, so 
inserting it that the bottom (be it rooted 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS 169 

plant or cutting) is only a very little below 
the surface of the soil. After potting, give 
a little water, to settle the soil, and no more, 
ordinarily, until the plant begins to grow. 
Lightly syringe on all bright days. If the 
potting is done in early summer, and the 
plants are plunged outdoors, the water which 
they receive from the syringing will be suffi- 
cient for all their needs until growth begins. 

IMPROPER WATERING AND ROT 

Too much watering, or too rich and heavy 
a soil, will cause rotting of the plant at the 
soil line — the commonest cause of loss in 
amateur collections. This can only be 
avoided by watching, and giving water only 
when the soil becomes dry. When you do 
water, give enough to thoroughly dampen all 
the soil in the pot. 

WHEN TO REPOT 

A properly potted plant will not need 
shifting for some years, and will do all the 
better for not having the roots disturbed. 
If the soil becomes water-logged, or sour 
(perhaps growing moss), repot at once. 
Mealy bug sometimes attacks the roots. As 



170 



HOUSE PLANTS 



soon as it is detected, shake the soil from 
the roots, and thoroughly wash them in 
clean water, repotting in a clean pot and new, 
clean soil. 

INSECTS ON THE STEMS 

The most likely insect pests are red spider, 
thrip, scales, and mealy bug. The two 
latter are easily brushed off with a small 
brush, but if the stems are frequently 
syringed \vith clear water, soap suds, tobacco 
water, or a solution of fir tree oil, none of 
these pests will give serious trouble. The 
red spider will never appear if watering is 
frequent enough. The fir tree oil pre- 
vents thrips. 

Cactuses are not helped by rich feeding. 
The only exceptions to this rule are old 
plants of night-blooming cereus, and the 
crab cactus (Epiphyllum), which occasional 
waterings with weak manure water (about 
half the strength used for other plants) will 
benefit. 

IDEAL GROWING CONDITIONS 

The ideal place for cactuses in winter is a 
rather damp greenhouse, but they will thrive 



CACTUSES AND OTHER SUCCULENTS I7I 

in the window garden, so long as they never 
get frozen. Try to keep the night tempera- 
ture about 50 degrees. The drying of the 
soils under ordinary house conditions makes 
watering in winter a necessity. Planted 
out in a greenhouse, their requirements 
are very much less. The window gardener 
must remember that although they are desert 
plants, they do not naturally grow in small 
pots, exposed to drying draughts of desic- 
cated hot air. 

The growth of the plants will be improved if 
they are put outdoors when all danger of frost 
is past in early spring. Some people knock 
them from the pots and set them in the ground, 
but it is better to plunge them — plant, pot 
and all — because they are more easily lifted 
and no damage is done to the roots. Place 
them in a well-drained border, fully exposed 
to the sun, and with a free circulation of air. 

The opuntia is the most disagreeable of 
all the cactuses to handle because of the 
very small brown spines which grow in 
bunches all over the stem and fruits. These 
spines are barbed, something like a fish 
hook, so that when once they are in the flesh 
it is exceedingly difficult to remove them. 



172 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Because of these troublesome spines in the 
ordinary forms the so-called ^'spineless" cac- 
tus was hailed with great joy, the claim 
being that it would be a good stock food. 
There is nothing really new about it, how- 
ever, as spineless cactuses of various genera 
are well known to botanists and collectors. 



CHAPTER XII 



Nine Iron-clad Palms 

The best graceful foliage plants that will successfully 
withstand for long periods the variable temperature, 
dust, and gas of the ordinary living room. 

Among the best all-round house plants, 
of a purely decorative nature, are the palms. 
In the sizes best adapted for house culture, 
the stem is short, but from it arises a cluster 
of long, slender, arching leaves which are 
bold and massive, yet, at the same time, 
light and airy. One great advantage they 
have over most plants is that they do not 
need a large amount of direct sunlight; 
in fact, the light of a north window is 
sufficient. If for purposes of decoration 
you wish to put them in a dark corner of 
the room or in a hall, they can stay there 
three or four days without injury; but they 
must then be put back in the light to recu- 
perate, for no green plant can live long 
without light. 

173 



174 



HOUSE PLANTS 



THE CONFUSION OF YOUTH 

It is really very hard to give a good de- 
scription of the individual kinds of palm, 
because many of them look so much alike. 
This is particularly true when in the young 
state; in most of them, the seed leaves show 
no distinguishing characteristics whatever, the 
characteristic leaves not being developed 
until the plants are nearly a year old. Even 
in some of the older plants, there is not 
much difference. For instance, until I 
became fairly well acquainted with palms, I 
was continually confusing the areca with the 
kentia and seaforthia. Some hundreds of 
species make up the host of palms, and 
there would be endless confusion and dis- 
appointment were the amateur to attempt 
their cultivation in the house. The only 
ones to be considered are the following. 

The best two palms for house culture are 
the curly palm (Howea Belmoreana) and 
the thatch leaf palm (Howea Forstertand). 
They are universally known throughout the 
trade, however, as Kentia Belmoreana and K. 
Forsteriana. They might be identified in 
popular terms as the erect kentia and the 
spreading kentia. Although very much 



NINE IRON-CLAD PALMS 



alike, Belmoreana can readily be told from 
Fosteriana by the more upright leaflets, 
those of Forsteriana have a decidedly, droop- 
ing tendency. Moreover, Belmoreana has a 
dwarfer, more spreading habit than Forster- 
iana, while the latter is a stronger grower 
and has broader foliage. As ordinarily 
seen in the florists' shops, a kentia in a six- 
inch pot is two to two and one-half feet high 
and has half a dozen leaves, two-thirds of 
the leaf consisting of a long, slender gradually 
tapering, arching stem surmounted by many 
broad, dark green leaflets set in two rows. 
Both these palms will succeed where no 
other palms can be grown. 

THE POPULAR FAVOURITE 

Probably the Chinese fan palm (Livistona 
Chinensis, but usually spoken of in the 
trade as Latania Borhonica) is the most 
popular of house palms, and, to my eye, 
certainly the most beautiful. It does not 
grow nearly as tall as the kentia, but is 
much broader. In this palm the leaf stem is 
as long as the leaf, and for more than half the 
length of the leaf, its edges are covered with 
short, stout, sharp spines. The leaf is a foot or 



176 



HOUSE PLANTS 



more in diameter, the outer edge being 
divided into long narrow drooping seg- 
ments. The foHage is a deep, rich green, 
and presents a more massive appearance 
than that of any other palm. This will 
succeed in any room where the temperature 
does not go below 45 degrees at night. 

I know of one specimen of this which was 
grown for the last ten years in a north window 
during the winter and on the porch in the 
summer. The owner secured it from a 
florist as a small plant in a six-inch pot and 
was so successful in the management that 
the plant grew until it took up so much space 
in the room as to be actually in the way. 

A somewhat stiff, formal, but interesting 
palm is the so-called ground rattan (Rhapis 
flahelUformis). It is a slow grower and 
lasts very well indeed in the house. The 
rhapis seldom grows more than five or six 
feet high. The stem is three-quarters of 
an inch to an inch in diameter and covered 
with a mass of dark brown threads which 
are the remains of the leaf sheaths. A cluster 
of very deeply divided dark green leaves is 
borne on the top of the stem, each of which 
is about a foot in diameter. The rhapis 



TWO FEATHER-LEAVED PALMS 



The upper one is Robelen's date palm, an extremely slow-growing dwarf; 
excellent for table decoration. The lower is the Cocos, an extremely dainty 
plant which does better in a rather warmer atmosphere than most others 




THE STURDIEST OF THE HOUSE P.\LMS 

The thatch palms, or kentias, have very dark-green leaves and are 
extremely tolerant cf poor light and variation of temperature. Kentia 
Belmoreana, shown above, differs from K. Forsteriana only in the more erect 
habit of the leaf 



NINE IRON-CLAD PALMS 1 77 



differs from most of the palms in that it 
produces suckers, each of which sends up a 
stem so that in time the plant will become 
as broad as it is tall. 

The most beautiful dwarf palm in culti- 
vation is Cocos Weddelliana, and as a house 
plant it is extremely popular. The charac- 
teristic leaves are developed at a very early 
stage, and as the plant is a slow grower, it 
retains its beauty for a long time. The short 
stem of the C. JVeddelliana bears numerous 
gracefully arching leaves which are a foot 
or more long and three or four inches wide, 
and remind one of a feather. The leaflets 
are very slender, and silvery white on the 
reverse. It is particularly useful for table 
decoration in fern dishes as a centre piece, 
small ferns, such as pteris, and selaginella 
moss being placed about the base. 

This is often referred to as the cocoanut 
palm; that belongs to the same genus, but 
is quite different, hov/ever, in having large 
broad leaves in the young state. 

Although of no value as a house plant, 
lots of fun may be had from growing the 
cocoanut palm from seed. To do this, 
secure a cocoanut with the husk on and 



178 



HOUSE PLANTS 



place it on its side in a pot filled with soil. 
Do not bury more than one-quarter of the 
nut. The germination is very interesting 
as a leaf will appear long before there is any 
sign of a root, which may not develop for a 
year. The cocoanut is easily injured by too 
much water; it needs practically none. 

ONE THAT NEVER GROWS UP 

About the only other palms which succeed 
in the house are the date palms {Phoenix 
Canariensis, reclinata, and Rcehelenii). 
These are all very much alike, the chief 
differences being the habit of growth. P. 
Roehelenii is a real dwarf; the leaves, grace- 
fully curving, are only a foot or so long. 
It withstands the hardships of house culti- 
vation equally as well as does the kentia 
and when small is as graceful as Cocos 
Weddelliana, It is perhaps the most costly 
of all the house palms. P. rupicola is prob- 
ably the hardiest. It seems able to with- 
stand almost any hardship which may be 
im.posed upon it. In the South and in 
California, P. Canariensis is considered the 
handsomest of all the date palms. The 
leaves are more slender and graceful than in 



NINE IRON-CLAD PALMS 1 79 



the Other palms and it is also the fastest 
growing date palm. 

Considerable fun may be had from raising 
date palms (P. dactylifera) from the dates 
of the grocery stores. The seeds will ger- 
minate in a few weeks, but the plant I 
cannot recommend, it is too stiff and not so 
graceful as the kinds just named. 

THE MOST COMMONLY SOLD 

The palm most often sold by the florist is 
the areca (Chrysolidocarpus lutescens^ but 
known in the trade as Areca lutescens). 
This is easily distinguished from the other 
palms by its golden yellow leaf-stem and 
also by the little plants which may be seen 
growing around the base; like the rhapis, 
the areca sends out underground suckers. 
The leaflets are flat, long, and narrow, and 
of a bright glossy green. The areca can 
be grown successfully in the house, but it 
requires some care and it will not stand hard- 
ships like the other palms already mentioned. 

THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS 

The plants must not be subjected at any 
time to sudden changes of temperature. 



i8o 



HOUSE PLANTS 



such as a draught blowing across them from 
an open window or door; and the sudden 
falHng of the temperature of the room will 
cause a chill; the leaves then turn brown and 
possibly they will die in a short time. To 
recuperate such plants will need a year or 
so in a greenhouse under the care of a skilful 
grower. 

Palms need lots of water, but the soil must 
never become water-logged. If plenty of 
drainage is given in the bottom of the pot, 
and sand and charcoal added to the soil, 
there will be no danger of over-watering 
for the surplus will drain away quickly. 

Keep the leaves of the palms clean by 
passing a damp sponge over the surface each 
day. If the plants are not too large to 
handle conveniently, carry them to the sink 
or bath tub and syringe them with clean 
water. Be sure to syringe the under side 
as well as the top, for this will prevent the 
red spider and the thrips from gaining a 
foothold on the plants. 

i RAISING FROM SEED 

Palms may be grown from seed in the 
window garden without any more care than 



NINE IRON-CLAD PALMS l8l 



is ordinarily given to other house plants, 
except that they need bottom heat and this 
can be easily given if the suggestions on 
page 59 are followed. 

The first requisite is fresh seed. With 
fev^ exceptions, seedsmen do not carry 
palm seed in stock but it may be secured 
through a few of the larger retail seeds- 
men and through some of the whole- 
salers. Place your order with them asking 
that the seed be shipped to you as soon as 
received. Not all the species reach the 
markets at the same time. For instance, 
Kentia seed arrives twice a year, in January 
or February and in September or October. 
Many of the florists prefer the fall shipment 
to the winter one, as they seem to have better 
success in germinating the seed. Livistona 
seed arrives in February; Cocos in January; 
Areca in April or May; Phoenix Canariensis 
and P. reclinata from January to March; 
and P. Roehelinii in January. 

Sow the seeds at once upon arrival because 
they deteriorate very rapidly. A good seed 
soil for palms may be made from three or four 
parts of peat, one of rotted sod and one of 
sand. To this add some finely broken 



HOUSE PLANTS 



charcoal — two pounds to a bushel of soil — 
it will help to keep the soil sweet. 

As palms in the young state are very impa- 
tient of any meddling with the roots, the 
window gardener had better sow the seeds in 
pots. Sink two-inch pots filled with soil in 
a flat filled with sand and plant the seeds 
one-quarter to one-half of an inch deep, 
one to a pot. 

When large quantities of palms are being 
raised from seed, the seeds may be sown 
thickly in seed pans or flats, which are not 
over three inches deep, or they may even be 
sown on a greenhouse bench. There is a 
disadvantage in so doing, however. The 
young plants must be transferred to deep 
two-inch pots as soon as the second leaf is 
developed. In transplanting, the long tap 
root is very apt to become injured and the 
plant will probably die. About 75 per cent, 
of the injured plants can be saved, however, 
if the damaged portion of the root is cut off"; 
use a sharp knife and make a clean cut. 

The length of time it takes palm seed to 
germinate varies. Kentia seed usually comes 
up in about ten weeks but sometimes all the 
seeds will not germinate for eight or nine 



NINE IRON-CLAD PALMS 1 83 



months. Cocos takes about ten weeks if 
the seed is perfectly fresh — it not, it will 
take longer; Areca and Livistona will come 
up in a month and the date palms (Phoenix) 
require about two months. When the seed 
is not perfectly fresh, only part will grow. 
Germination may be helped somewhat by 
scratching or filing the outer coat of those 
which have hard shells. 

After the young palm plants of any sort 
have become established in two-inch pots, the 
culture is simple. They will need, how- 
ever, a rather high temperature and moist 
atmosphere for some months to come, after 
which they may be inured to almost any 
reasonable hardship. 

Do not give the young plants any manure 
in the soil. A potting soil made up of two 
parts of peat, one of rich loam such as a 
rotted sod, and one part of sand will give the 
best results. Leafmould is too light for palms, 
but a little may be added to the rotted sod 
if peat is not available. An addition of 
charcoal is also advisable, using the same 
quantity as already advised for the seed soil. 

As the plants become older, a little well- 
decayed horse manure may be added to the 



184 



HOUSE PLANTS 



soil with benefit. The best time to repot 
palms is in the spring or early summer — 
April to June — before much growth takes 
place, but they can be shifted at any tim.e 
up to the first or middle of October without 
harm. After that date it is unsafe to dis- 
turb the roots; disaster is almost sure to 
follow any meddling with the root system 
during the winter. 

Never overpot palms, for the soil will 
become soured very easily. A shift of one 
size at a time is enough. When repotting 
be very careful not to injure the roots; but 
if any are injured, cut off the injured portion 
with a sharp knife, making a clean cut. If 
the roots have bound up the drainage, get 
out all that is possible without injury to the 
roots, and fill the hole up with good soil 
before putting the plant back into the pot. 
The new soil must be firmly packed about 
the old ball. To do this, use a thin potting 
stick. It is possible, of course, to get the 
soil too firm but in practice there is not much 
danger of it. 



CHAPTER XIII 



Foliage Plants Other Than Palms 

Some bold-growing kinds that are the most tolerant 
of uncongenial conditions — Plants for dark corners, 
and some charming coloured effects for the window — 
Fruiting oranges and lemons. 

In addition to the palms there are 
many foHage plants that may be successfully 
grown in the house. The hardiest of all these 
is the aspidistra {A. lurid a). Its tenacity of 
life is something wonderful. It does not 
seem to mind the dust and dry air, or the 
spasmodic watering and insufficient light 
which seem to be the common lot of most 
house plants. It has been wintered out- 
doors at Philadelphia by giving it a heavy 
mulch of forest leaves. If given a fairly 
rich soil and plenty of moisture, the aspi- 
distra will make a fairly rapid growth, 
but it never gets very tall; it broadens out. 
The simplest way to get new plants is by 
dividing the old one in the early spring 
(February), before any growth takes place so 

185 



HOUSE PLANTS 



that the young leaves will not be injured, 
or in August. 

The aspidistra has no stem, the leaves 
coming directly from the rootstock or rhi- 
zome. The leaves are from fifteen inches to 
two feet long. The leaf stem is about one- 
eighth to one-quarter of an inch in diameter 
and wiry, and about one-quarter the length 
of the whole leaf. The blade is from three 
to five inches wide and very dark green in 
colour. There is a variegated form of this 
having white stripes in the leaves. These 
are, however, almost lost if the plant makes 
a rapid growth, and in no two leaves on the 
same plant are they exactly the same. 

An almost equally tough plant is the New 
Zealand hemp (Sanseviera Zelanicd). Like 
the aspidistra, the leaves come directly 
from the rhizome, the plant having no stem. 
All the leaves stand up straight like so many 
sticks, are from one to three feet tall and 
concave. It is attractive only for its colour 
which is light green with many transverse 
markings of a grayish white. There are two 
others, Sanseviera Guineensi and cylin- 
drical in cultivation, but are only infre- 
quently met. In the former, the leaves 



FOLIAGE PLANTS OTHER THAN PALMS 1 87 

are flat, dark green, with lighter transverse 
markings. The leaves of cylindrica, as the 
name indicates, are round. 

THE SAGO PALM 

Another plant of a totally different char- 
acter, but still seemingly indifferent to the 
dust and gas of the living room is the sago 
palm (Cycas revolutd). It is a very slow 
grower, so if one buys a small plant he can 
depend upon it that it will be somie years 
before it becomes too large for house culture. 

The cycas has a short stem which is 
crowned with a whorl of leaves. Only one 
whorl is produced in a year, but with care 
the old leaves may be made to persist for 
rwo or three years. The foliage is dark 
green; the individual leaf is long and flat, 
being comiposed of a long central stem to 
which the pinnae are attached in two rov/s. 
When the new leaves come out they unroll 
just like the fiddle-head fern fronds, and are 
upright, but as they grow older, they grad- 
ually drop, until the following year, when it 
is time for the new set of leaves to 
come out, they are horizontal or slightly 
drooping. 



i88 



HOUSE PLANTS 



The cycas is of easy culture, and succeeds 
well in the varying temperature of a living 
room and almost any well-drained soil. If 
you want the fun of starting one yourself, 
buy a dormant stem from the florist. These 
cost about fifteen cents a pound and may 
be had in varying sizes, weighing anywhere 
from two to fifty pounds. When the stems 
arrive, plant them in as small a pot as pos- 
sible and keep them in a warm, humid 
atmosphere until the plants start to grow; 
after that, a cooler, drier atmosphere will do. 

THE UBIQUITOUS RUBBER PLANT 

One of the most popular of all the plants 
for house culture is the rubber plant (Ficus 
elastic d). It is usually grown as a single 
stem plant and in this shape is very pretty 
indeed for formal effects, but equally decora- 
tive specimens can be had by growing com- 
pact, branching plants. The leaves are 
anywhere from three to twelve inches long, 
about one-third as wide as they are long, 
and oblong to elliptical in shape with a small, 
abrupt point. The upper side of the leaf 
is very glossy and dark green, but the under 
side is dull and light green. 



FOLIAGE PLANTS OTHER THAN PALMS 1 89 



Compared with the palms, the rubber 
plant is a fast growing subject, but a plant 
grown to a single stem will not become too 
tall for the living room for a couple or three 
years. A rubber plant six to eight feet tall 
always has a "leggy" look, for, as a rule, the 
bottom leaves drop off. When a rubber 
plant gets too tall for the house, don't cut 
off the top and throw it away, but root it, 
making a new plant as has been described 
on page 67. 

If you have a greenhouse or a propa- 
gating box in which bottom heat and 
a humid atmosphere can be maintained, 
the stem can be cut up into short pieces — 
one leaf to a piece. The cuttings can then 
be put directly into the propagating box 
or the cuttings tied to small sticks so as to 
maintain the leaf in an upright position, and 
the whole planted in sand in two, or two and 
one-half inch pots and then plunged in a 
cutting bench. In order to make the cut- 
tings root, a steady heat and humidity in the 
atmosphere must be maintained. 

The rubber plant is a gross feeder so there 
is no danger of getting the soil too rich. 
Use an ordinary potting soil such as has 



HOUSE PLANTS 



already been described in the chapter on 
soils, and when the pot has become filled 
with roots, manure water, or other plant 
food in liquid form may be given once or 
twice a week. 

During the summer the rubber plant will 
receive much benefit from being put out- 
doors, but if the plant has grown much in 
the house, do not put it where it will get 
the full sunshine for the leaves vAW be 
burned. Place them where they will get 
the early morning and late afternoon sun, 
but be shaded during the middle of the day. 

With recent years, there has been intro- 
duced into general cultivation another rub- 
ber tree, Ficus pandurata, which is as hardy 
as the one already described. It differs from 
elastica in the shape of its leaves which are 
fiddle-shaped and much broader, being lined 
also with creamy-white veins. 

THE BEST FORMAL PLANT 

There is only one member of the pine 
family which can safely be recommended 
for house cultivation. This is the Norfolk 
Island pine (Araucaria excelsa), a plant 
familiar to all. The foliage is a bright 



FOLIAGE PLANTS OTHER THAN PALMS IQI 

grass-green and the branches are produced 
in regular whorls of five at short but regular 
intervals, making a very pretty and symmet- 
rical plant. It is one of the most popular 
house plants and is the best formal plant for 
house decoration. The Norfolk Island pine 
will stand a great deal of neglect, so long 
as it is in a cool place and the soil about 
its roots kept moist. 

One of the easiest grown foliage plants 
is the canna; of course it will flower, but, 
primarily, when grown in the window garden 
it is a foliage plant. The best one to grow 
is Black Beauty. Outdoors, this canna 
grows five to six feet high but in pot culture, 
it will reach only two or three feet in height. 
The leaves are rich, glistening, bronzy 
purple, shaded black and the margins of 
the leaves are crimped or wavy. The 
flowers are small and not to be considered 
in house culture. The bulbs can be bought 
from the seedsmen, but an easier way is 
to dig up the bulbs which have flowered 
in the garden during the summer, dry them 
off and then pot them up in six or seven 
inch pots and start them growing. The 
plant will make a good show all winter 



192 



HOUSE PLANTS 



and may be put outdoors in the flower bed 
again in the summer. 

ALL THE SCREW PINES 

The most popular variegated plant for 
house culture is the variegated screw pine 
{Pandanus Veitchii), The leaves grow two 
to three feet long, one and one-half to two 
inches broad, are light shiny green with 
broad pure white stripes and arch gracefully. 
Both the edges and the midrib of the leaf 
are thick, and set with spines. When small, 
it is very useful in fern dishes as a centre- 
piece; small ferns and selaginellas being 
used about the base. To be successful 
with this in the house, one must get plants 
which have been hardened off. Soft, sappy 
specimens are very apt to rot. Give the 
screw pine a rich but well-drained soil and 
plenty of water, but do not over, water. As 
the roots are rather large and fleshy, the 
soil must not be packed around them too 
tightly or their growth will be retarded. 

As the plant suckers freely, new ones 
can easily be made by removing the suckers 
and treating them as cuttings. There is 
another variegated pandanus of more recent 



FOLIAGE PLANTS OTHER THAN PALMS I93 

introduction, P. Sanderi, in which the stripes 
instead of white are yellow, and during the 
winter months the new growth in the centre 
of the plant is a deep golden hue. 

Not as pretty but just as hardy is the 
ordinary screw pine (Pandanus utilis). This 
is a stronger grower than Veitchii; I have 
seen specimens twenty feet high in green- 
houses. The leaves are produced in a spiral, 
from which it gets its name "screw" pine, are 
light green in colour and the edges and mid- 
rib set with spines as in Veitchii. If you 
cannot get Veitchii, get this one — and it 
does not cost as much either because it is 
much easier to propagate as it is easily grown 
from seeds. 

One curious thing about the pandanuses is 
the stilted effect they give. This is par- 
ticularly true of utilis. When the plant 
begins to attain any size it produces from 
the stems near the ground large thick roots 
which immediately penetrate the soil. So 
many of these are made that the plants look 
as if they were standing on stilts. All the 
pandanuses are more or less subject to " spot," 
which is caused by small insects burrowing 
under the epidermis of the leaf. There 



194 



HOUSE PLANTS 



seems to be no remedy for this, so if your 
plant becomes badly infested, throw it away. 
If there are only one or two spots, cut off 
the infected leaves and burn them; keep the 
plant dry — do not syringe the leaves — 
and water the soil sparingly. Over watering 
seems to induce an attack of this insect. 

FRUITING ORANGES AND LEMONS 

It seems to be the delight of a great many 
people to grow an orange or a lemon tree. 
They save the seeds from fruit used about 
the house and plant — usually they stick 
them in a pot with another plant • — a bad 
habit. The seeds grow and after a year or 
two, a nice little tree has been produced and 
if the plant is grown long enough, it will 
produce some fruit, usually sour. I have 
been asked a great many times how those 
plants can be made to bear sweet oranges 
or good lemons. The plants should have 
been budded with a good variety when about 
the size of a lead pencil. This requires 
a delicate operation and the very bother- 
some detail of sending to some California 
or Florida dealer for a bud-stick of a good 
variety. 



FOLIAGE PLANTS OTHER THAN PALMS I95 

A much better plan is to buy an Otaheite 
orange from the florist. The fruit is small 
and of no value for food, but the plants are 
dwarf — they grow only fifteen to eighteen 
inches high — and a well-grown specimen 
is usually covered with reddish orange 
coloured fruit. The flowers are pinkish 
in colour. Even if the plant has no fruit, 
the deep green of its foliage is always attrac- 
tive. These little orange plants seem to 
stand the wear and tear of house culture 
most satisfactorily. 

If a lemon is more to your taste, get the 
American Wonder or Ponderosa lemon. 
That is the one which most of the florists 
are handling nowadays. It is a rapid grower 
and bears large, white flowers which some- 
times are as big as a tuberose, and they are 
as fragrant as orange blossoms. 

Although I have never eaten it, the fruit, 
which is large, — sometimes weighing one 
and one-half to two pounds — is said to be 
good for domestic use. The plant itself 
without fruit or flower is worthy of a 
place in the window garden on account 
of its deep green foliage and fairly sym- 
metrical habit, 



196 



HOUSE PLANTS 



FOR COLOURED FOLIAGE 

The best small decorative plant for the 
window garden is the rex begonia. The 
plants seldom grow more than six inches 
high; the leaves come directly from the 
rhizome and are obliquely heart-shaped 
and all face one way. They are six to eight 
inches long and of a rich metallic green 
with a silver band. The original species 
has been crossed with other species, so that 
now one can get a variety of shades of green 
and many different markings. If the win- 
dow garden is large enough, space should 
be given to three or four diff'erent varieties 
as they will be a source of much pleasure. 
Their culture is easy; they delight in a rich soil 
to which a large portion of leafmould has 
been added. 

I believe that the best specimens of the 
leopard plant or farfugium. {Senecio Kcemp- 
feriy var. aureo maciilatus) I have ever seen 
have been in window gardens. There is 
something about them which is always attrac- 
tive to me. The leopard plant has large 
leaves — six to ten inches across — of thick, 
leathery texture, dark green in colour, and 
blotched with yellov/ or sometimes with 



FOLIAGE PLANTS OTHER THAN PALMS I97 



white or pink. The leaves come directly 
from rhizomes, the leaf stems being from 
six inches to a foot long. 

PLANTS FOR EDGINGS 

For edging a window box or to grow in 
hanging pots or in vases the best plant I 
know of is the periwinkle (^Vinca minor), 
which makes a slender growth one to two 
feet long. There is a variegated form of 
this, the leaves being marked with yellow. 
A much smaller plant which may be used 
for the same purpose is Scirpus cernuus, but 
universally known among florists as Isolepis 
gracilis. It has very pretty drooping, grass- 
like foliage. 

Other plants suitable for this purpose 
are: Wandering Jew (Tradescantia flumi- 
nensis); Wandering Jew (Zehrina pendula); 
Snake's beard (Ophiopogon Jaburan); 
Variegated panicum (Oplismenus Bur- 
mannii). 

There are two vines which succeed admir- 
ably in the house. They are the German 
ivy (Senecio scandens) and the English ivy 
(Hedera Helix). These may be trained 
around and over the window and I have 



198 



HOUSE PLANTS 



seen a whole bay window festooned with 
them, strings being fastened for them to 
grow on. 

Other foliage plants well worth trying in 
the house are: Fragrant dragon tree, 
(Draccena fragrans;) Spotted dragon (Dra- 
ccena Godseffiand); Dracena (Cordyline 
australisy but known in the trade as Dra- 
ccena indivisa); Curmeria (Homalomena 
Wallisii); Umbrella plant (Cyperus alterni- 
folius); Japanese Daphne {Daphne odora); 
Camellia (C. Japomca); Bay tree (Laurus 
nohilis). 



CHAPTER XIV 



Reliable Ferns for the Dwelling Rooms 

A selection of a round dozen that will endure the same 
conditions as the best-natured flowering plants — 
The kinds that anyone can surely grow even in a 
city flat. 

The ferns vie with the rubber plant for 
first place in the esteem of the window 
gardener. Their finely cut and sometimes 
oddly shaped fronds have a graceful airy 
effect possessed by few other plants. Many 
people believe that it is impossible to grow 
ferns in the house or in the window garden, 
but there are perhaps a couple of dozen 
which will do very well indeed if given the 
same care as the flowering plants. 

BOSTON AND OTHER SWORD FERNS 

The most popular fern is the common 
sword fern (Nephrolepis exaltatd). The type 
is rarely seen in the florist's shops it having 
been superseded by the Boston fern (A'^. 
exaltaia, var. Bostoniensis of the trade). 

This is the best of all the sword ferns. 

199 



200 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Even when young in small pots the plants 
are attractive, but as they make a fairly 
rapid growth one does not have to Vv^ait long 
to obtain a large plant. The fronds of the 
Boston fern are two to three feet long and 
two to three inches across, and of a rich 
green colour. Unlike most of the ferns 
this will stand some abuse. With all the 
other ferns if the soil once becomes dry the 
plant is ruined for the season at least, if 
not absolutely killed; but should your sword 
fern be neglected for a day or two, becoming 
dry, it will recover if carefully looked after. 

Another variety of the exaltata which has 
given satisfaction in many window gardens 
is known in the trade as N. Philippensis. 
The fronds are sm.aller, being only about 
eighteen inches long and one and one-half 
to two inches wide and are very dark green. 

Of recent years there have been several 
new forms of the sword fern introduced to 
the American trade which have become very 
popular. The variety Scotti is a minature 
Boston fern, the fronds being shorter and 
narrower, thus making a dense, more com- 
pact plant. 

There are several plumose forms in which 



RELIABLE FERNS FOR DWELLING ROOMS 201 



the pinnae are much divided. The fronds 
are usually a foot or so long and quite broad. 
They are known under such trade names 
as Ptersoni, Barrowsi, Whitmaniy etc. These 
do well in the house but with the exception 
of Whitniani the fronds are more or less 
liable to revert to the type. This is no 
doubt caused by the trying conditions found 
in the living room — a dry heat and insuffi- 
cient light. 

There is another sword fern which I 
always like to grow because of the oddly 
shaped pinnae: tJephrolepis davalliodesy var. 
furcans. The ends of the pinnae are divided 
into spreading points like horns. This 
plant is equally as strong a grower as the 
Boston fern but the fronds have a much 
more drooping habit. 

The sword ferns will grow in almost any 
soil but a well drained sandy loam is best, 

THE GLOSSY HOLLY FERN 



The glossy, dark green foliage of the holly 
fern (Cyrtomium falcatum) alv/ays attracts 
attention. The upper side of the pinnae 
is very dark green, the under side is some- 
what lighter green and studded with brown 



202 



HOUSE PLANTS 



spots — the spores. The pinnae are large, 
four to six inches long and one to two inches 
broad, the fronds about two feet long and 
very stiff. Altogether it is very attractive. 

DELICATE MAIDENHAIR 

The graceful, feathery fronds of the 
maidenhair ferns always excite interest. 
The most beautiful one, Adiantum Farley- 
ense, often seen in the florists shops, cannot 
be grown in the window garden, but there 
is a good substitute for it in the so-called 
"hardy Farleyense" (Adiantum Capilius- 
Venerisy var. tmhricatuni). This will with- 
stand the trying conditions of the house 
just as well as will the Boston fern. I know 
plants which have lived all winter in a New 
York City residence, a severe test for any 
plant. There is a host of related ferns too 
numerous to mention and moreover they 
are not reliable as house plants under the 
ordinary conditions. 

The soil in which maidenhair ferns are 
growing must never be allowed to become 
dry — the fronds immediately wither and 
nothing can be done to recuperate them. 
Should such an accident happen, remove 



RELIABLE FERNS FOR DWELLING ROOMS 203 



the injured fronds and keep the plant in as 
good a condition as possible until the follow- 
ing spring when new growth will be made. 

SPIDER FERNS FOR FERN DISHES 

The best small ferns for the home are 
found among the spider ferns (Pteris). The 
fronds are once divided, the divisions being 
long and narrow, and pointed. 

One of the best of the spider ferns is P. 
Cretica. It grows nearly a foot high. The 
stalks are straw coloured and the foliage 
is dark green in the type but there are 
several varieties some of which have white 
markings. 

Another spider fern very commonly grown 
is P. serrulata, which differs from Cretica 
in not being such a strong grower, the stalks 
are brown and the edges of the pinnae are 
sharply serrulate or saw edged. Like 
Cretica, this has many forms, mostly more or 
less distorted, and to which such descriptive 
Latin names as cristata, cristata variegata, 
densa, etc, have been given. 

The best variegated fern for the window 
garden is Pteris argyrcea. This is some- 
what stronger growing than those already 



HOUSE PLANTS 



mentioned, but its chief feature is a broad, 
white band down the middle of each division 
of the frond. 

All the spider ferns are used more for fern 
dishes than for specimen plants, to which 
they are, however, admirably suited. 

OTHERS OF PROVEN MERIT 

One of the shield ferns (Polystichum 
angulare) somewhat resembles the swwd 
ferns. The fronds are from one to two feet 
long and rather narrow. The pinnae differ 
from those of the sword ferns in that they 
are triangular rather than oblong. This 
fern seems to withstand the unfavourable 
condition of the house adm.irably. Mr. 
W. H. Taplin, in American Gardening for 
March lo, 1900, reports having known a 
specimen which flourished in a window 
garden for ten years! 

The hare's foot fern (Polypodium) is 
always interesting because of its rhizomes. 
These rest on the ground and are densely 
covered with long, coarse, yellow hair^. 
Sooner or later these hang over the edge of 
the pot and bear a strong resemblance to a 
rabbit's foot. 



RELIABLE FERNS FOR DWELLING ROOMS 205 

Another interesting fern is Davallia hullata, 
usually seen in the form of fern balls," but 
equally at home in a pot or on a sphagnum 
covered board. As a fern ball this fern is 
particularly interesting. The balls are com- 
posed of the rhizomes wrapped around 
sphagnum moss. The balls are received 
in this country in December and January 
and all that is needed to start them into 
growth is a thorough soaking in water. 
Have them in a light window, preferably 
a north one. 

GROWING CONDITIONS FOR FERNS 

In the coldest weather the temperature 
in which ferns are growing ought never to 
go below 55 degrees at night. A raise of 
temperature during the day of lo or 15 
degrees is sufficient, and surely no living 
room should be above 70 degrees. A north 
window or any window which has lots of 
light and but little or no direct sunlight 
will suit ferns; the sun injures the delicate 
fronds. 

Ferns do not like a heavy soil, one com- 
posed of four parts of a sandy loam, one 
part sand, and one part manure, will give 



2o6 



HOUSE PLANTS 



good results. For most of the ferns a little 
leafmould may be added, but I would not 
add any to the soil in which the sword ferns 
are to be grown. Pack the soil fairly firm 
about the roots but do not make it hard. 
The soil in which ferns are growing must 
never become dry neither must it become 
water-logged. It is a common assumption 
that, because ferns grow naturally in damp 
places, they cannot be over-watered, but 
while the soil in which ferns thrive outdoors 
may be very damp it is always well drained 
and aereated. 

Keep the roots cool. This can be easily 
done by placing the pots in jardinieres or 
vases and packing damp sphagnum moss 
about them. If you want to use the plant 
for table or other decoration it can be 
removed from the receptacle, used in the 
decoration, and returned when the occasion 
is over. 

Keep the leaves of the ferns clean. This 
is best done by syringing them with clear 
water on all bright days. If done on dull 
days, there is some danger of the fronds 
turning black. 

Thrips, red spider and mealy bug are very 



RELIABLE FERNS FOR DWELLING ROOMS 20/ 



troublesome, especially in a dry atmosphere. 
The two former can be kept in check 
by frequent syringings of water, being sure 
to hit the under side of the fronds. Spraying 
once a week with weak tobacco water will 
probably keep all three of these pests under 
control, but should the mealy bug be found 
on the plants it can be removed by follow- 
ing the advice given elsewhere. 



CHAPTER XV 



Window Gardening Tools and Acces- 
sories 

With these accessories and such others as may have 
been mentioned in the preceding pages, one can 
successfully care for plants. 

There are very few tools which one really 
needs for successful window gardening, 
although there are a score or more of acces- 
sory appliances, each of which has its spe- 
cial application. The dealers' catalogues list 
these; our present purpose is to indicate 
only those that one ought to have for ordi- 
nary comfort in this work. 

Brackets. There are very useful brackets 
to be had for fastening into the sides of the 
window casings. Very pretty effects may 
be had by placing one or two of these on 
the sides of the window and growing some 
drooping plant, like the canary bird vine, 
for instance. 

Bulh glasses. A great deal of interest 
and pleasure may be had, and a lot learned, 

208 



WINDOW GARDENING TOOLS 20g 



from watching a hyacinth bulb develop. 
This may be done by growing the bulb in a 
bulb, or hyacinth, glass. This has a rather 
large base, and draws in toward the top; 
but nearly at the top the sides suddenly 
flare out, forming a basin which is just large 
enough to comfortably hold the largest 
sized hyacinth bulb. Water is put in these 
to just touch the bottom of the bulb. The 
filled glasses are then set away in a cool, 
dark place until the roots develop. 

Fertilizers. None are needed, as a rule, 
but when feeding becomes desirable apply 
in solution. Formulas for liquid manure 
and another for a soluble chemical fertil- 
izer are given on pages 74 and 75, Chap- 
ter VI. The prepared plant food tablets, 
to be had in the seed stores, are thoroughly 
reliable. 

Heaters. Often it is necessary to heat the 
window, as where the room in which the 
plants are growing is separated from the 
living room. Sometimes this can be solved 
by putting in connections with the regular 
house heater; but where such connections 
cannot be made, use an oil heater. These 
generate a large amount of heat, and will 



210 



HOUSE PLANTS 



not injure the plants. Don't use a gas 
heater under any circumstances, for gas is 
bound to escape through the connections, 
and nothing is so injurious to plants as is 
gas. For the very small greenhouse there 
are small forms of hot water boilers which 
are economical of fuel, ?nd give a large 
amount of heat. 

Knife. A good budding knife, costing about 
^1.25, should be kept on hand for making 
cuttings, etc., and used for this purpose only. 
Keep it with a keen edge, to make clean cuts. 

Pans. When growing bulbs use pans 
which are made especially for this purpose. 
They are not as deep as pots of the same 
diameter would be. For instance, a pot 
eight inches in diameter would be eight 
inches deep; but a pan of that same diameter 
would be only about half as deep. This 
is plenty deep enough for bulbs, as it fur- 
nishes plenty of root room and they are more 
attractive, not showing such an expanse of 
red clay. These pans are also very useful 
for starting seeds. 

Pots. They must be good. There are 
a great many pots on the market which are 
so thin that they are very easily broken. 



THE COMMONEST OF THE HOUSE PALMS 



The areca is easily recognized by its yellowish stems and suckering 
habit. It is not by any means the best house palm, but it is easily grown in 
a greenhouse and is the commonest offered for sale 



WINDOW GARDENING TOOLS 



211 



Avoid these, and get such as have sides that 
are thick and which are well baked. Buy 
"standard" pots which are of uniform size 
and shape, so that they nest well, taking up 
less room, and are less liable to be broken 
when stored. 

For growing hyacinths, where one only is 
wanted in a pot, as for forcing, use the so- 
called hyacinth pots. These are deep, five- 
inch pots, an inch or so deeper than the ordi- 
nary five-inch pot, and give much more 
room for soil. This extra room for soil is 
really necessary if one wishes to make the 
most of hyacinths. 

Pot covers. Many times it is desirable 
to cover up a pot, particularly when using 
a potted plant as a prominent part of the 
decorations about the house. The best 
thing for this is a jardiniere. This can be 
had in many different sizes, shapes, and 
prices. The best, to my mind, is of unglazed 
clay, decorated with gilt dragons and 
similar figures, made by the Japanese. 
Cheaper forms of domestic manufacture can 
be had in glazed pottery. 

Very pretty effects can be had by using 
crepe paper and ribbons. This paper can 



212 



HOUSE PLANTS 



be had in almost any colour imaginable, but 
as a rule I think the green paper is best. 

Then there are collapsible paper pot 
covers. These are eight or many sided 
affairs, in which the pot can be set and 
removed when the occasion for it is over, 
and the plant set back in the window to 
recuperate. 

Of late the florists have been displaying 
baskets for covering the pots. They can be 
had in a number of different colours and 
shapes. The first time I saw them I 
exclaimed: *^What funny little waste bas- 
kets!" I think that perhaps this will give 
you some idea of what they look like. They 
are certainly very ornamental affairs, and 
for the amount of use which one may get 
out of them they are not expensive. They 
are more artistic than most of the common 
glazed jardinieres sold by the department 
stores, and there is not so very much dif- 
ference in their cost. 

Potting tools. A trowel will often prove 
handy, and so will a screen for sifting 
the soil. This should be three mesh to the 
inch. A temporary bench for potting will 
be handy if you have much potting to do. 



WINDOW GARDENING TOOLS 213 

Soil for potting can usually be purchased 
from a nearby florist at a cheaper price than 
you can secure it otherwise, so that the 
bench need not be so large as would be the 
case if you mixed the soil at home. 

A potting stick, for tamping the soil, is 
most desirable. It is described on page 32. 

Raffia, etc. For tying up the plants use 
raffia, a soft straw-like tying material made 
from a palm, which can be purchased from 
the seedsmen for about twenty cents a 
pound; and a pound will last a long time. 
Raffia tape is also good. It is a broad 
green tape made especially for the purpose. 
There is also dark green linen string which 
is very useful. It is the best thing to put up 
for smilax and asparagus to grow on. 

Saucers should be put under each pot 
to save the drip from the plants when water- 
ing, but do not allow water to accumulate 
in them. 

Sphagnum. Sphagnum moss should 
always be kept on hand; it is useful for a 
great variety of purposes, such as putting 
over the broken crock in the bottom of 
the pot to keep the soil from sifting down 
and clogging the drainage. Fine siftings are 



214 



HOUSE PLANTS 



put on the top of the soil in seed pans for 
germinating fine seeds like gloxinia, cal- 
ceolaria, tuberous begonia, etc. Used also 
for pot-layering rubber plants. 

Sprayers. A very handy little brass 
sprayer is sold by the seedsmen, which will 
thoroughly distribute kerosene emulsion, 
tobacco water, or other insecticide. For 
syringing the plants with water the best 
thing is the ordinary bulb syringe; but for 
larger plants there is a brass syringe hold- 
ing a quart or so which will prove very 
effective when ridding the plants of mealy 
bug or red spider, because the spray can 
be applied with much force. 

Stands. For holding plants, where one 
has more than can be put on the window-sill, 
there are a great variety of plant-stands 
in the market. Some are circular, some 
are semi-circular, others straight, but all are 
arranged in the form of steps. These are 
made of wood or iron. Plant stands are 
all right, I suppose, but I never have cared 
for them, as plants which are grown on them 
are very apt to be one-sided, because they 
are usually far from the light, and the 
grower neglects to turn them around fre- 



WINDOW GARDENING TOOLS 



215 



quently. Still, if you have no other means 
of holding, use a stand, but get it as near the 
window as possible, and slightly turn the 
plant each day so that all sides will get an 
equal amount of light. 

Trellis. For training weak-stemmed 
plants a trellis of some sort is often handy. 
This may be made from small, square wood 
stakes, or from wire. Either form is good. 

Wardian case. A Wardian case is prac- 
tically a greenhouse of small dimensions, 
say 2x3 X 2^ feet. It is made entirely of 
glass with a wooden frame. Usually a pitch 
roof is put on it; the sides of the roof being 
hung on the ridge pole by hinges so that the 
inside of the case is accessible. In the 
bottom of these cases is a zinc pan for the 
earth. The plants are set in this, watered, 
and the case closed. The moisture trans- 
pired by the foliage and evaporated by the 
soil condenses on the glass and drops back. 
As a result, there is always a humid atmos- 
phere in these cases, and but little water- 
ing has to be done. Where conditions will 
not permit of the culture of ferns in the open 
room, they can be grown most successfully 
in Wardian cases. 



2l6 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Watering pot. A well-conducted indoor 
garden ought not to be without a good 
watering pot. It is not necessary, however, 
to have one of those big affairs such as are 
often used outdoors. There are small ones, 
holding a couple of gallons which are much 
more easily handled. They may be had 
in either galvanized iron or copper. I 
prefer the copper one, as it can be kept 
in much better condition than an iron one, 
and with ordinary care they will last a life- 
time. The nozzle should be fitted with two 
roses of different sized holes, one with very 
small holes. To insure that the joint 
between them is tight insist on the nozzle 
or spout being fitted with threads that the 
"roses" may be screwed on. 

Window boxes for the window-sill are 
sometimes used in window gardening. They 
are useful, especially where one wishes to 
plunge pots in cool, damp moss. These 
can be made of plain wood, or of metal tiles, 
and supported on brackets. 



CHAPTER XVI 



Ether Forcing Without a Greenhouse 

An easy way for the amateur who has no greenhouse to 
bloom azaleas, lilacs, and other plants — Great 
opportunity for the window gardener to discount 
the seasons. 

The ability to force plants out of season, 
without the application of heat, but by 
freezing by means of ether, is not a theory. 
It has been done successfully by several 
people; but I must confess to having had 
no experience of it myself. Still, the account 
of it given by Mrs. Flora L. Marble in 
The Garden Magazine for September, 1905, 
is circumstantial enough, and convincing. 
To quote: 

"Success crowned our attempt at forcing 
by ether. We had flowers for Christ- 
mas just like those of the stores which had 
been forced by the expensive florist's green- 
house, heated by steam or water. Our 
apparatus was only a little bottle of ether, 
an old washboiler for small plants, and an 

217 



2l8 



HOUSE PLANTS 



old-fashioned chest for the shrubs. Actual 
cash outlay fifteen cents a plant! After 
the ether treatment the plants were subject 
to all the discomforts that commonly fail 
to the lot of house plants during winter. 

"The old-fashioned chest, with dovetailed 
corners and double boards on the sides and 
bottom, was lined with heavy paper and all 
suggestions of cracks v>^ere filled with putty. 
The lid was removed, and the chest was 
placed upside down on the cellar floor and 
banked around with earth. A hole was 
drilled for the funnel through which the 
ether was poured. Inside was a sponge and 
a small basin under the sponge to hold the 
ether, while the sponge continually soaked it 
up and aided evaporation. This chest con- 
tained about fifty-six gallons space and we 
used four ounces of ether for the dose — that 
is the approved ratio. The hole was tightly 
plugged after the funnel was withdrawn. 

"We chose for our experiment two azaleas, 
Vervaeniana, and Simon Mardner; two 
lilacs, Marie le Gray and Charles X.; two 
deutzias. 

"November 4th the plants arrived from 
the nursery. They were potted at once in 



ETHER FORCING WITHOUT GREENHOUSE 2tg 

dry earth — that is important, dry earth — 
and put under the chest packed like cord- 
wood, their branches still tied, and cloth 
bound about the pots to hold the soil. The 
ether was poured in and the plants remained 
for seventy-two hours. What a sorry sight 
as they were removed from the forcing 
chest!" These plants that were to be a joy 
at Christmas — and it was already Novem- 
ber 7th! 

"The Marie le Gray lilac, a bare shrub, 
looked unaltered, but there was a smell of 
ether about the dirt when it was watered 
that was hopeful. 

"The other lilac, Charles X., is notoriously 
hard to force. So it was left dry and 
bewrapped on the cellar floor to rest a couple 
of days before going into the chest for 
another dose of ether. 

"Look at the azaleas! Vervaeniana, that 
had been of so shiny a green when put in 
the chest, now had the lower leaves a rich 
crimson, while the top of the plant remained 
green — as our sumach does in the fall. It 
, followed the lilac upstairs. Simon Mardner 
showed no signs of a change of heart, so we 
put it back to rest with the Charles X. lilac. 



220 



HOUSE PLANTS 



One of the deutzias was watered and sent 
to join the promising ones; the other was 
wrapped up and treated once more. 

"Then we began to quake. Finally we 
did the thing only half way, which is very 
foolish always. Charles X., Simon Mard- 
ner, and the deutzia were put back in the 
chest bravely enough, but when we came to 
pour in the ether we stopped at two ounces. 

"On the evening of the I2th, having been 
in the chest three days, these plants were 
once more brought into fresh air and daylight. 
The lilac and deutzia were in no wise altered, 
but Simon Mardner had folded its small 
green leaves close to the branches — as a 
clover plant will at night. 

" Azalea Vervaeniana began to lose the crim- 
son leaves, and many of the green leaves fell 
off. This dropping of the foliage continued 
until December 3rd, when the plant began to 
grow like a miracle. The flower buds, that 
had been nestling in the tips of the branches, 
swelled and doffed the russet caps that covered 
their pink glory. December 13th found the 
first blossom fully open. By Christmas time 
the plant was a thing to marvel at. The 
flowers were large and perfect, crowding each 



ETHER FORCING WITHOUT GREENHOUSE 221 



Other in the shape of an old-fashioned bou- 
quet, and the plant was beautiful all through 
January, when it was cut back, to make a 
new growth for next season. 

"After it had been upstairs a day or so, 
azalea Simon Mardner waked up and straight- 
ened out its folded leaves, and many of them 
fell off. The flower buds showed colour on 
December 15th, and after that the plant took 
up a great pace, and by Christmas time most 
of the flowers were fully open. They are 
just the color of the American Beauty rose, 
having a richness of tone that Vervaeniana 
lacks; but, for all of that, we prefer the pale 
pink of the latter. Vervaeniana rather likes 
sunshine, and will live comfortably in a warm 
room. Simon Mardner, on the other hand, 
hates sunshine even more than artificial heat. 
In spite of being too warm sometimes, it 
kept its good looks through January, but 
by the middle of February was dead. Dead 
from overwork and rush, no doubt. 

"Our most delightful success was with the 
Marie le Gray lilac. In four days the leaf 
buds began to swell. The first week in 
December the white flowers began to unfold; 
by the loth of the month the flowers were 



222 



HOUSE PLANTS 



full blown, and hung there, unchanging, to 
the last day of the month. 

"We have different things to say of Charles 
X. The person who christened it must 
have known what the history books say of 
that French Charles X: 'His policy was 
bigoted and reactionary. Tt excited much 
discontent.' Of no Charles X. was this 
remark ever more true than of the one who 
occupied our sunny window after November 
1 2th. It came into leaf, but the flowers 
never developed. 

"The deutzias remained unpromising until 
about December 3rd, when a faint show of 
green could be detected along the branches 
of the plant that had had two treatments. 
The other remained dormant. By Christ- 
mas Day all the lower flowers were in full 
bloom, while those at the tips of the branches 
were still tiny buds. The leaves did not 
grow much until the flowers were out. The 
photographs were taken at Christmas time to 
showthe relative condition, (see plate). 

"All the plants had the same treatment 
from the time the dopes ended. They were 
taken to the third floor, where the hall widens 
out into what we call the sun parlour. Here 



ETHER FORCING WITHOUT GREENHOUSE 223 

the windows face south and east and west. 
The light is diffused, and there are no 
draughts. At night the temperature would 
often go down to 35 degrees or 40 
degrees. On a few very cold nights 
we huddled our patients about the 
radiator, with a screen around them 
to keep off the cold air which might 
come up the stairway. In the daytime the 
temperature averaged about 65 degrees, 
sometimes climbing up to 70 degrees. 

"When the plants were beginning to bloom 
they were watered every four or five days 
with weak manure water. There is a 
great difference in the thirst of the various 
plants. Water them when the soil on top 
gets dry, not before, though there is a great 
temptation so to do when the plant in the 
next crock needs a drink. The deutzias 
were only watered about once a week, but 
the lilacs and azaleas needed water every 
day. The plants that were not dosed did 
not take as much water, for they were not 
growing as fast. 

" If we had been working in a hothouse, and 
could have started early enough, it would 
have been possible to get the same results. 



• 



224 



HOUSE PLANTS 



The use of anaesthetics shortens the time of 
forcing twenty to thirty days. 

THE ITEMS OF COST AND PROFIT 

2 azaleas [i2-mch plants], named varieties . . 1^1.50 
2 lilacs [Marie le Gray and Qiarles X.J . . . 2.00 

2 Deutzia Lemoinei 1. 50 

Ether [average 15 cents per plant] 90 

"For less than $6 and practically no work 
we had flowering plants at Christmas worth 
$i^x.o $20. Ether sells at 75 cents a pound. 



CHAPTER XVII 



A Window Gardener's Calendar 

A practical year's programme of operations based on 
actual experience (see also pages 6 to 9). 

The seasons' operations are set forth 
in the following paragraphs beginning with 
September, because that is the time when 
one's interest is naturally transferred from 
the outdoors garden. The preparations for 
winter bloom, then, begin with the arrival 
of the Dutch bulbs. 

September — Start first set of Dutch bulbs 
and various types of narcissus — lift and 
repot house plants from frame the second 
week. The narcissus will bloom before 
Christmas; the tulips and hyacinths at Christ- 
mas time. 

Continue planting at intervals of two 
weeks for succession; first, second, third 
and fourth sets of tulips may be found in 
La Reine, Yellow Prince, Rose Grisdelin, 
and Pottebakker types — Hyacinths, Ida, 



226 



HOUSE PLANTS 



Baron van Thuyll, for earliest. Unnamed 
sorts are less expensive, and do just as well 
for later flower. Grow the white alba 
superbissima for Easter. Polyanthus nar- 
cissus are best for Christmas, and the 
Trumpet types for later. 

October — Lift chrysanthemums and start 
in the house. Last of the month plant 
Gladiolus Colvillei. Blushing Bride gladi- 
olus flowers six weeks earlier than The 
Bride and rubra. The latter may be set in 
January for May flowers. Gladiolus require 
a gentle bottom heat to start growth quickly. 

February — Take cuttings of Paris daisies, 
chrysanthemums, and begonias, for flowers 
in October and later. 

Much expense may be saved if small 
greenhouse plants are bought at this season, 
and grown through the summer to maturity. 

March — Sow Ostrich Plume chrysanthe- 
mums and Chaubaud's carnations, for flowers 
in October and later. 

Carnations of this strain will bloom con- 
tinuously throughout the winter. 

April — Sow seeds of cinerarias for March 
flowers, and Chinese primrose seeds for 
Christmas flowers. 



A WINDOW gardener's CALENDAR 22/ 



Cinerarias will flourish in spite of hot sum- 
mer weather, if planted in a deep-framed pit 
slanting north with a muslin shade over 
the top. 

May — Plant out in coldframe all house 
plants by the middle of the month. 

Unpot plants and place in the earth in 
bottomless cardboard or wooden boxes. 
The plants will grow all the stronger for this, 
and the cardboard straight- jackets will 
check the roots from spreading. 

June — For flowers in October and later, 
disbud chrysanthemums and roses until the 
middle of August. Deutsche Perle (white), 
and Simon Mardner (dark pink), are the 
surest azaleas for Christmas bloom. Be 
sure to pinch outside shoots around form- 
ing azalea buds; the buds will be crowded 
and blast if you neglect this. 

July — Sow calceolaria seed and buy 
Gloire de Lorraine begonia plants. The 
begonias will flower in December, the calceo- 
larias in March. 

Treat calceolaria the same as primrose and 
cineraria — the tall-growing hybrida type is 
the handsomest. 

August — Pot Easter lilies and freesias; 



228 



HOUSE PLANTS 



take cuttings from Paris daisies and helio- 
trope; sow cineraria again. The lilies and 
freesias will flower by Christmas; the others 
from January on. 

By planting freesias among lilies or other 
slow-maturing flowers, they will bloom 
before the lilies, and break the monotony of 
waiting. If planted two inches deep the 
nuisance of staking is avoided. 



INDEX 



African lily, the blue, 130. 
Air plant, peculiarities of, 
161. 

Aloes, the most common, 

158. 

grown from suckers, 166. 
top-heavy, 1 59. 
Anaesthetics, for forcing, 
224. 

Amaryllis, American and 
foreign bulbs, 129. 

Angleworms, removed by 
lime water, 81. 

Anemone, poppy-flowered. 

Animal manures, compari- 
son of, 19, 20. 
Aphides, enemies of house 

plants, 76. 
Aphis, black, 145. 
remedies for, 76, 100. 
root, 78. 
Apricra, leaves of, 162. 
Asparagus ferns, in vine 

form, 46. 
Asparagus foliage, for bas- 
kets, 41, 104. 
Asparagus plumosus, var. 
nanus, foliage and 
height 46. 
seeds, expensive, 47. 
soil for, 46. 
Aspid. istra, hardiness of, 

185. 



Azaleas, forcing by ether, 
218. 

Ghent and Indian, 94, 

96. 
Mollis, 96. 
soil for, 96. 

Basket plants, asparagus, 

41, 104. 
"little pickles," 160. 
Baskets, asparagus in, 

104. 

decorative plant for, 41. 
Begonia Rex, for decora- 
tion, 196. 
propagation of, 64. 
Begonias, beauty of leaves, 
118. 

for Summer, 133. 

for sunless windows, 
115. 

hybrid, 117. 

soil for, 119. 

temperature for, 121. 

varieties of, 117. 

winter-flowering, 120. 
Berries, red, for Christmas, 
40, 102. 

for two years, loi. 
Bouvardia, for Christmas, 

64. 

temperature for the, 99. 
trouble from mealy bugs 
and aphides, 100. 



230 



INDEX 



Bulbs, the Cape group, 83, 
86. 

the Dutch group, 83. 
an inexpensive collec- 
tion, 93 
secret of culture, 84. 
unusual, 127. 
winter storage, 85. 

Cactuses, flowers of, 148. 
from seeds, 149. 
ideal growing conditions, 
170. 

raising, 55, 1 66. 
rock, 154. 
soil for, 167. 
spineless, 172. 
tall growing, 150. 
varieties, 1 53. 
vine-like, popular, 152. 
vitality of, 149. 
wild and cultivated, 149. 
Calendar of operations, 
piazza conservatory, 9, 
225. 

Calla, rich soil needed for, 
127. 

varieties of, 128. 
Canna, foliage of, 191. 
Cape group, description 
of the, 89. 
storing, 89. 
Carnations, how to culti- 
vate, 138. 
throughout the winter, 
226. 

varieties of, 143. 
Cellar, rooting in cool, 86. 
Century plant, slow flower- 
ing, 156. 
weird flowering effect, 
157- 



Cherry, Jerusalem, cheap- 
ness of, 103. 
described, 40. 
watering, 41. 
Charcoal, substitute for 

sand, 24. 
Cherry pie (heliotrope), 
ideal window garden 
_ plant, 49. 
Chinese primroses, seeds 

for, 226. 
Chinese primroses, 226. 
Due van Thol tulips, 86. 
forcing by ether, 217. 
freesias, 89, 228. 
geraniums, 98. 
narcissus, 86. 
nasturtiums, 44. 
red berries, 40, loi. 
red peppers, 103. 
Roman hyacinths, 86. 
Skimmia [aponica, 102. 
stevia, 100. 
Christmas flowers, bouvar- 

dia, the, 64. 
Chrysanthemums, black 
aphis pest, 145. 
care of, 143. 
lifting, 226. 
Clivia, an evergreen bulb, 
132. 

Coal ashes, substitute for 
sand, 24. 

Coal gas, injurious to house 
plants, 75. 

Compost heap, fall and 
spring treatment, 19. 
loam for, 18. 

Cotyledon Echeveria, beau- 
ty of leaves, 163 

Cow manure, the best fer- 
tilizer, 74 



INDEX 



231 



Crocking and drainage, 
in potting plants, 33. 

Cut flowers, best Decem- 
ber, 98. 

Cuttings, to make, 57, 61. 
propagation from, 57. 
rooting, 58. 

Cuttings and seedlings, 
potting up, 29. 

Cuttings of stems, how 
to make, 61. 

Cyclamen, Persian, its flow- 
ers and colouring, 53. 

Cyclamens, time from seed 
to flower, 54. 

Daisy, Marguerite or Paris, 

106, 226. 
Decoration, porch, fuchsias 

for, 122. 
Deutzia, forcing by ether, 

222. 

Dibble, use in transplant- 
ing the, 39. 
Dracaena, cultivation by 

stem cuttings, 63. 
Drainage, for flats, 36. 
for potting, 32. 
how to provide, 23. 
Draughts, injury from, 70. 
Dust, removal from leaves, 
73- 

Dutch bulbs, growth of, 

83, 225. 
Dwarf plants, smallest, 1 54. 
species of, 153. 

Easter geraniums, 98, 108. 

gladiolus bloom, 113. 

hydrangea, iii. 

lilies, 87, 105. 
Edgings, plants for, 197. 



Ether, for forcing, 217. 
Euphorbias, their grotes- 

queness, 161. 
Evergreens, broad-leaved, 
102, 103. 
clivia, 131. 

yellow-flowered genista, 
109. 

Feeding, vs. repotting, 28. 
Ferns, "fern balls," 205. 

for dwelling-rooms, 199. 

growing conditions for, 
205. 

hare's foot, 204. 
holly, 201. 
maidenhair, 202. 
shield, 204. 
soil, for, 205. 
spider, 203. 

sword, Boston and other, 
199. 

thrips, red spider and 
mealy bug pests, 206. 
Fertilizers, best liquid, 74. 
for lilies, 106. 
reliable, 209. 
"Flats," home-made 

directions about, 36. 
Flats vs. pots, 36. 
Flowers, easily grown, 94. 
for Easter, 87, 105, 108, 

III, 113. 
for fragrance, 49. 
from Christmas to Eas- 
ter, 93. 

gay, 94. 

heliotrope, the, 49. 

in flower all the year, 47. 

more fragrant, grown in 

a cool temperature, 

53. 



232 



INDEX 



Flowers — continued 
red, all Winter, 151. 
Summer, 133. 
Foliage, asparagus, use 

in decoration, 41. 
Foliage, house vine, 43. 
morning-glory and nas- 
turtium, 43. 
plants for, 196. 
plants other than palms, 

185, 196. 
red-berried plant, loi. 
Forcing, by ether, 217. 
bulbs 83. 
gladiolus, 113. 
hydrangea, no. 
Fragrance, flowers for, 49. 
Fragrant flowers, cherry 
pie (heliotrope) 49. 
for Christmas, 100. 
mignonette, 50. 
stevia, the, 100. 
Freak remedies, popular 
fallacies about ailing 
plants, 82. 
Freesias, easily grown, 90. 
Frost, freezing point fatal 
to window plants, 40. 
Fuchsias, for the porch, 1 22. 
Fumigator, a simple form 

^ ... 

Furnace gas, mjurious to 
house plants, 75. 

Gas, coal or furnace, 75. 

Gasterias, curiously shaped 
leaves of, 162. 

Genista, evergreen shrub 
easily handled, 109. 

Geraniums, Easter, 98. 
for Christmas decora- 
tions, 108. 



Geraniums — continued 
Martha Washfngton, 
107. 

propagation of, 63. 
secret of successful cul- 
ture, 98. 
show, 107. 

sunless window, 115. 

syringing and fumigat- 
ing, 109. 
Gladiolus, Easter bloom, 
113- 

good varieties of, 114. 
Glass house, for vv^inter 
forcing, 6. 

Haworthia, leaves of, 162. 
Heating problems, solv- 

.ing, 7, 15. 
Heliotrope flowers, colours, 

49- 

seeds, 50. 

Hemp, toughness of the 
New Zealand, 186. 

High temperatures, danger 
of, for house plants, 70. 

Hippeastrum, popular bul- 
bous plant, 129. 

Holland, azaleas from, 95. 

House gardens, untold op- 
portunities for, in cac- 
tuses, 148. 

House leeks, characteristics 
of, 165. 
reproduction of, 166. 

House plants, ideal condi- 
tions for, 69. 

Human beings, relationship 
between and plants, 69. 

Hyacinths, growth in 
glasses, 88. 
Roman, 88. 



INDEX 



Hydrangea, for Easter, 112. 
forcing the, iio. 
varieties of, iii. 

Indoor plant cultivation, 
ideal conditions, 69. 
an individual problem, 4. 
Insect pests, aphis, 76, 100, 
145- 

mealy bug, 170, 206. 
Red spider, 170, 206. 
remedies for, 76, 100, 

109. 
scales, 170. 
stem, 170. 
thrips, 170, 206. 
Ivy, English and German, 

I ■ '9^- 

Ixia, temperature tor, 90. 

Jardinieres, use of, 211. 
Jerusalem cherry, descrip- 
tion of, 40. 
its cheapness, 103. 

Leafmould, benefits of, 20. 

inexpensiveness of, 21. 

substitute for muck, 23. 
Leaves, handling of, 22. 

dust removal from, 73. 
Light, importance of, 4. 

injuriousness of exces- 
sive, 5. 
Lilac, forcing by ether, 221. 
Lilies, aloes and, 159. 

Bermuda, 83. 

blue African, 130. 

Easter, 87, 105. 

fumigating, 106. 

Madonna, 83. 

spraying, 106. 
Loam, for compost, 18. 



Manures, for composting, 
19. 

for smilax, 45. 

various kinds of, 20. 
Maple, flowering, 125. 
Marigolds, the fig, 162. 
Mealy bug, how removed, 
80. 

attacks roots of cactuses, 
169. 

destructive to ferns, 206. 
Mignonette, fragrance of, 
51- 

how to transplant, 51. 
how to treat and train, 

must not get dry, 51. 
Muck, uses and value of, 
23. 

Narcissus, Double Roman 
and other varieties, 93. 
Nasturtiums, abundance of 
sunlight for, 43. 
for Christmas, 44. 

Oranges and lemons, fruit- 
ing, 194. 
Oxalis, easily grown, 90. 

Palms, date, 178. 
direct sunlight not 

needed for, 173, 
dwarf, 177. 
favourite, 175. 
raising from seeds, 180. 
sago, 187. 

secret of success with, 

that never grow up, 178. 
two best for house cul- 
ture, 174. 



234 



INDEX 



Palms — continued 

withstand living-room 
conditions, 173. 
Pandanuses, pests that in- 
jure, 193. 
varieties of, 192. 
Pans, sizes for bulbs, 93. 
specially made, 210. 
vs. pots, 84. 
Peat, adding, to potting soil, 
20. 

scarcity of, in the United 
States, 21. 
Peppers, red, for Christmas, 
103. 
Tabasco, 104. 
Piazza conservatory, de- 
scription of a, 6. 
calendar of operations, 
225. 

Pine, Norfolk Island, 190. 

screw, 190. 
Plant, Century, the, 155. 
Plant lice, tobacco water 
or soap suds removes, 

Plants in dwelling houses, 
atmosphere, temper- 
ature, light, conditions 
3-. 

cultivation of, an indi- 
vidual problem, 4. 

cool-living, 90. 

dwarf, 153. 

for edgings, 197. 

raising from seeds, 35. 

red-berried, loi. 

some grown from seed, 
in the house, 55. 

stands for, 214. 

tall, 150. 
Porch, fuchsias for the, 122. 



Pots, covers for, 211. 
danger of large, 33. 
pans vs., 84. 
** standard," 211. 
substituting "flats" for, 
36. 

thumb, 29. 
treatment of new, 34. 
where obtainable, 34. 
Potting, directions for, 31. 
in the fall, 30. 
in the spring, 27. 
Potting soil, no hard and 
fast rule for ingre- 
dients of, 25. 
Potting stick, use of,29,2i3. 

how made, 32. 
Potting tools, handy, 212. 
Potting up, cuttings and 

seedlings, 29. 
*Trickingout," careneeded 
in, 38. 

Primroses, Chinese, 226. 
most graceful of, 47. 
potting and repotting, 48. 
temperature and air, 48. 
Propagating box, a home 

made, 39. 
Propagation by cuttings, 
57- 

by leaves, 64. 
by offset, 65. 
by runners, 66. 

Ranunculus, described, 92. 
Red-berried plants, not 

hardy North, loi. 
Red berries, for Christ- 
mas, 40. 
for two years, loi. 
Red flowers, all winter, 1 51. 
June, blooming in, 152. 



INDEX 



Red spider, destructive- 
ness of, 79. 

remedy against, 170. 
Repotting, best time for, 27. 

danger in Winter, 27. 

feeding vs., 28. 

instructions for, 28. 

time for, 169. 
Root aphis, how to kill the, 
T. 79; 

Root disturbance, unneces- 
sary, 74. 
Roses, forcing, 137. 
soil for, 136. 
varieties of, 135. 
Rubber plant,fiddle-leaved, 
190. 

gross feeder, a, 189. 
making new, 67. 
rooting, when too tall, 
189. 

ubiquitous, 188. 

Sago palm, indifferent to 
dust and gas, 187. 

Sand, substitutes for, 24. 

Sand bed, for rooting cut- 
tings, 58. 
how to prepare, 58. 

Scale insects, removal of 
81, 170. 

Seasons, discounting the, 
by ether, 217. 

Sedums and house leeks, 
varieties of, 164. 

Seed, how to sow the, 37. 

Seedlings, potting up, 29. 
first transplanting of, 38. 
"pricking out," 38. 

Seeds, good coverings for, 

37- 

raising plants from, 35. 



Seed soil, ingredients of a 

good, 36. 
Selection for special pur- 
poses (see under Var- 
iety selections). 
Shrubs, showy, 94. 
Smilax, soil for, 45. 
temperature for, 46. 
time to sow seeds, 45. 
transplanting of, 45. 
Soap boxes, receptacles 

for pots, 144. 
Soap suds, remedy, for 

plant lice, 76. 
Soil, condition of, for pot- 
ting, 30. 
Soil foundation, a work- 
able soil, 18. 
Soil, potting, ingredients 
of, 25. 
seed, a good, 36. 
Soil, testing moisture of, 36. 

watering after sowing,38. 
Sparaxis, varieties of, 91. 
Spirea, Japanese, the, 112. 
Stevia, fragrance of, 100. 
Succulents, cultivation of, 
147. 

potting of, 168. 
rich soil for, 168. 
Summer flowers, begonias, 
133- 

Sunless windows, plants 
for, 115. 

Sunshine, devices to pro- 
tect from excessive, 5. 

Tabasco pepper, height of, 
104. 

Temperature, control of, 16. 
night and day, 40. 
too high, 70. 



236 



INDEX 



Temperature fluctuations, 
drawback to home pro- 
pagation of plants, 58. 

Thrips, destructiveness of, 
170, 206. 
parisgreen remedy for,8i. 

Tobacco, remedy for aphis, 
76. 

Tools and accessories, for 
window gardening,2o8 
Transplanting of seedlings 

38- 

use of the dibble in, 39. 
Trellis, wood or wire, 215. 
Tulips, varieties of, 87. 

Umbrella plant, propaga- 
tion of, 65. 

Variety selections; for 
baskets, 41, 104, 160. 

for Christmas, 40, 44, 64, 
86, 89, 98, 100, loi, 
102, 103, 226, 228. 

for cut flowers in win- 
ter, 98. 

for decoration, 42, 122, 
196, 197. 

for Easter, 87, 98, 105, 
108, III, 113. 

for edgings, 197. 

for June, 152. 

for shelves, 41. 

for summer, 133. 

for winter, 120, 122, 
125, 126, 151. 
Vines, for room decoration, 
42, 197. 

grown for foliage, 44. 

varieties of, 42. 



Watering, best way of 

soil, 38. 
improper, 169. 
importance of golden 

mean in, 71. 
no hard and fast rule for, 

71- 

pot, the, 216. 
White bloom, best feathery. 

Winter, 112. 
Window boxes, wood and 

metal, 216. 
Window garden, heating 
problems, 12. 
ideal situation for, 4. 
injuriousness of exces- 
sive light, 5. 
protection from exces- 
sive sunshine, 5. 
Window gardening, tools 
and accessories, 208. 
Window plants, annuals, 

begonias, 133. 

frost, fatal to, 140. 

herbaceous, 132. 

shrubs, 132. 

vines, 132. 
Windows, sunless, plants 

for, 115. 
Winter, danger of repot- 
ting in, 27. 

red flowers all, 151. 
Winter flowers, begonias, 
120. 

fuchsias, 122. 

maple, flowering, 125. 

red flowers, 151. 

yellow flax, 126. 



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